Getty Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis.
There was a lot of drama to come from the NBA’s All-Star Weekend for the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron James raised eyebrows with comments he made about his future and it looked like he might not be wanting to stay with the purple and gold for much longer. LeBron and his agent Rich Paul have cleared up any issues with the Lakers so it now seems like both sides are good for now.
However, that doesn’t fix the major issues the team has right now. The roster is poorly constructed and Anthony Davis can’t stay healthy. This season feels like a lost one but the team can’t sit idly by in the offseason and just hope that everything gets magically fixed. If the Lakers aren’t confident that Davis can get through an 82 game season and the playoffs, they could consider trading him away.
Despite the injury concerns, there will be plenty of teams interested in him. Any team that trades for him has to keep in mind that he’s not above making a scene if he doesn’t want to play for them. An anonymous NBA executive detailed to Heavy’s Sean Deveney that there’s one team that could be an appealing trade suitor for Davis and the Lakers:
Chicago is the one place I can see AD saying, ‘OK, if you are going to trade me, send me home.’ He has always wanted to play for the Bulls. That is not a big secret. He wants to do something for his city. If you are Chicago, I do not see how you don’t make an offer, at least feel it out.
But you would have to send DeMar DeRozan back. Plus I’d say either Pat Williams or Coby White. And if it is White, then a draft pick, too. I think that is something that would at least have a chance because the Lakers can say, ‘Well he wanted to go home,’ then let his injuries be Chicago’s problem. I like DeRozan and LeBron together, you get Coby White and you flip the pick for a vet? It is not a bad deal for the Lakers, either.
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Lakers Could’ve Had DeRozan Instead of Westbrook
A Davis for DeRozan swap straight up doesn’t work. The money doesn’t match and Davis is a much more valuable player despite DeRozan having a better season. It would be frustrating for the Lakers if they had to consider making a deal surrounding the All-Star guard considering he could’ve easily joined the team last offseason.
DeRozan is a Los Angeles, California, native who has expressed a desire to play in his hometown. He even suggested that he would’ve taken a discount in order to land with the team in the offseason. He had conversations with LeBron about joining the team and everything. Instead, the Lakers decided to trade for a different Los Angeles native in Russell Westbrook. That decision could haunt the Lakers for a long time.
Lakers Should Give Davis at Least 1 More Season
Considering how much the Lakers gave up to get Davis and the fact that he helped lead the team to a championship in the first year, it’s still too early to give up on him. The injury issues over the last two seasons are concerning but he hasn’t suffered anything too catastrophic yet.
If he can return to form, Davis is a top-10 player in the NBA. DeRozan is a top-10 player this season but hasn’t consistently been throughout his career. In a perfect world, the Lakers would have both of them right now. For now, the team needs to focus on building around Davis and LeBron so that they can get back into contention next season.