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With the Los Angeles Lakers season coming to an end, it’s time for the team to start figuring out how to fix this mess. Head coach Frank Vogel has already been shown the door and that’s certainly not the last notable move that will happen. While there could be front office and coaching staff shake-ups happening in the coming weeks, the biggest issue facing the team is the roster.
There’s no easy fix as Russell Westbrook’s contract could be difficult to move. Perhaps the only path to improving the team is trading away Anthony Davis. After a dominant debut season with the Lakers that ended in a championship, he’s put together back-to-back disappointing years that were plagued with injuries. Despite that, he should still have solid value around the NBA.
Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd proposed on “The Herd” that the Golden State Warriors would be a logical trade suitor for Davis.
“The Lakers are not going to be patient, that’s not what the Lakers are going to do, so I’ll throw this at you,” Cowherd said. “You call up Golden State and say, ‘Jordan Poole is becoming a star, you know it, everybody knows it, and you’re looking at Klay Thompson’s contract going ehhhh. We will take Klay Thompson, give us James Wiseman, a big who can’t stay healthy, he’s a project, we’ll take him. We will take those two headaches, Jordan Poole will solve one of the headaches, and we will give you Anthony Davis, and that solves the other headache. Davis may not play 82 games, but you won’t need him for that.’ The Lakers get maybe a draft pick, James Wiseman, Klay Thompson. The Warriors will cry at the press conference and say they love Klay, but quietly, Jordan Poole is becoming an All-Star and they want him to play 40 minutes a night, and you can’t with Klay around.”
Lakers get: Klay Thompson and James Wiseman
Warriors get: Anthony Davis
@ColinCowherd unveils his trade idea to @RicBucher
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This Trade Wouldn’t Be Fair Value for Davis
There was a time when Thompson was considered one of the best two-way players in the NBA. He was an integral part of the recent Warriors dynasty. However, he missed two straight seasons due to a torn ACL and then a torn Achillies. The injuries even caused him to miss a big portion of this season. He’s still a good player and averaged 20.4 points a game this year but it’s hard to imagine he’ll be the same elite defensive player he was prior to the injuries.
Wiseman is still largely an unknown. He was the second overall pick in the 2020 draft but hasn’t shown enough to be considered an emerging star. He also missed all of this season due to injury. Perhaps he could be the next great big man but that would be a serious risk for the Lakers to make. If they’re interested in making this deal with the Warriors, some draft picks would need to be added to sweeten the pot.
Thompson Has Lakers Ties
Thompson is a player who has been connected to the Lakers for years. His father, Mychal, played for the team and is currently a color commentator for them on ESPN Radio. He also grew up in Los Angeles, California, so coming to the team would be almost too perfect.
However, he’s had chances to leave Golden State before but his ties to the team are too strong. If he’s to leave the Warriors, it won’t be due to him pushing his way out. Thanks to his elite shooting, he’d be a perfect fit with LeBron James but his bond with Steph Curry could be too strong to break.
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Wild Anthony Davis Trade Proposal Lands Lakers 5-Time All-Star & Young Center