Getty Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
After another unsuccessful season, the Los Angeles Lakers search for a winning formula.
Hamstrung by a lack of draft assets, minimal cap room, and an aging roster, Rob Pelinka has his work cut out for him – especially if he wants to give LeBron James another championship ring.
The fact of the matter is, the Lakers need some fresh faces. Young, hungry, high-upside talent capable of improving the team’s fortunes in the immediate while also being skilled enough to develop into a potential star in the future. Unfortunately, finding a way to revitalize your roster to this extent without entering a rebuild is almost impossible.
Or is it?
Discussed positional problems w/ the Lakers’ roster, how a trade can solve things, how devastating a defensive duo Turner & Davis could be, plus opened the mailbag on the @LakersNation Pod. Don’t forget to subscribe!:
🎙️https://t.co/T7ZcL6vVi3
According to Sports Illustrated’s Alex Kirschenbaum, the Lakers can achieve this wild overhaul by making just one trade. In his September 9 article, Kirschenbaum explores the idea of a trade package between the Lakers and Golden State Warriors, centered around All-Star big man Anthony Davis.
Of course, a potential Davis to Golden State deal has been discussed, with nothing coming of it. But now, the Warriors are coming off the back of yet another NBA championship and could be tempted to trade away some of their younger talents for a bonafide star that can play the five – an area of weakness for their current roster.
What Would a Trade Look Like?
There have been several trade proposals throughout the years that would land Davis with the Warriors, but most of them included Andrew Wiggins. Given his rapid improvements over the last 18 months, it’s doubtful the Warriors would be willing to do that deal.
However, in his September 10 column for Heavy.com, Ryan Aston provided a new framework that could potentially appease both sides and land Wiggins with the Lakers.
The trade would look like this:
- Golden State Warriors receive C Anthony Davis and PG Kendrick Nunn
- Los Angeles Lakers receive G/F Andrew Wiggins, C James Wiseman, and two first-round picks (2026 and 2028)
“The best part: unlike some of the other Davis trade permutations we’ve seen, Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody all remain untouched, and the Dubs only lose one rotational player from their title run,” Aston wrote.
From a Lakers’ standpoint, this deal would make sense, as Wiseman would give the franchise a long-term replacement for Davis (although not on the same level) and boost their defense and wing play by slotting Wiggins into the rotation.
Trading Westbrook Could be Easier
While the idea of trading Davis is one that Lakers fans are willing to entertain, moving on from Russell Westbrook remains the priority, as the superstar guard doesn’t fit with the current roster and has seen his relationship with the fanbase reach a point of no return.
Luckily, Westbrook is amenable to being traded, assuming the receiving team is willing to give him a significant role in their rotation and would make him feel like an essential team member.
In a recent episode of The Lowe Post podcast, ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne explained this further. She shared some information on where Westbrook’s head is currently regarding a potential trade.
@ChaszJohnson Russell Westbrook is not stupid, he knows the Lakers wanted Kyrie Irving, but Kevin Durant’s trade demand was rejected by his boss. 😁😁😁
He will gladly leave but not giving a dime back.
“Russ is very open to a trade. He hasn’t asked for a trade. I’ve been assured of that. But he’s open to that, and somebody who wants him and wants to empower him and wants him to be Russell Westbrook of old,” Shelbourne said.