Getty Lakers star Anthony Davis
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis has played in only 76 regular-season games over the past two years. As a result, some pundits believe the purple and gold should consider trading Davis this summer.
In a June 6 column, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report proposed that the Lakers trade Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock, Maxi Kleber and Jalen Brunson.
“As the Los Angeles Lakers face the reality that they have few tradable assets to remake a disappointing and paper-thin roster, perhaps the notion of moving AD will become more attractive,” Hughes wrote. “The Mavericks have exactly the kinds of role-playing support pieces L.A. needs in Dorian Finney-Smith, Reggie Bullock, Maxi Kleber and Jalen Brunson (who’d have to be part of a highly unlikely sign-and-trade), and you could imagine Los Angeles liking the idea of surrounding LeBron James with shooters who can defend.
“The Lakers’ faith in Davis staying healthy would have to waver for them to even consider this, and Dallas might not find the risk-reward proposition worthwhile after reaching the West finals with its current roster. Still, there’s a semi-plausible deal floating around in here somewhere.”
Davis signed a five-year, $189.9 million deal with the Lakers in December 2020. Los Angeles acquired the Chicago native from the New Orleans Pelicans in the summer of 2019 and won the 2020 championship over the Miami Heat, validating its trade for Davis.
However, AD hasn’t been able to stay on the court since winning his first ring, which is why Hughes thinks the Lakers should consider trading the All-Star this summer. The odds of that happening, though, are extremely low.
Davis Has Close Relationship with LeBron James
Davis has a close relationship with Lakers superstar LeBron James. The two future Hall of Famers have the same agent (Rich Paul of Klutch Sports), which is why Michael Scotto of HoopsHype doesn’t envision Davis getting traded this offseason.
“LeBron and Anthony Davis believe they can be the foundation of a contender when they’re both fully healthy,” Scotto said on April 20. “I know that’s a bit of an asterisk with Davis in particular. LeBron has missed some time over the past few years, but generally speaking, he’s pretty healthy. Some people wondered if the Lakers would consider dangling Davis. I personally don’t see that. People have to write stuff. I see the two of them remaining in unison together. Ultimately, Davis went to Klutch Sports to facilitate the trade to get to the Lakers in the first place. He and LeBron have a good relationship.”
Davis has appeared in 138 regular-season games for the Lakers. He’s averaging 24.1 points and 9.1 rebounds while shooting 50.8% from the field, 28.6% from beyond the arc and 78.9% from the free-throw line.
Davis on Whether Lakers Will Trade Him: ‘I Don’t Know’
In April, Davis spoke about his future with the Lakers with Dave McMenamin of ESPN after the team was eliminated from play-in tournament contention. The Kentucky product said he didn’t know if the franchise would move him in the summer.
“I can’t control those things,” Davis said. “That’s an upstairs thing. A Klutch, Rich Paul thing. My agency. I mean, my job is to go out and play basketball. Obviously, I love it in L.A. If that’s something that they’re considering, then we’ll have a conversation about it. I don’t know what they’re talking about, what’s the plan. I mean, I don’t think they’re planning on doing anything [with me]. I don’t know, man. F***, I don’t know.”
The Lakers are 75-33 in the regular season when James and Davis play. However, both stars have been prone to injuries over the last two seasons. James has played in 101 out of a possible 154 games since guiding the Lakers to the 2020 title, while Davis — as mentioned above — has appeared in 76.