The Los Angeles Lakers might have snapped their losing streak on November 13, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the woods yet.
The simple fact is that the Lakers’ roster is still disjointed, and their lack of perimeter shooting and front-court depth will continue to be a debilitating factor in their search for success. As such, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz has proposed a trade that would not only solve the Lakers’ current issues but also set them up for the future, but it will cost them their star forward, Anthony Davis.
The proposed trade looks like this:
Lakers get: John Collins, Onyeka Okongwu, Justin Holiday, a 2023 first-round pick (lottery-protected), a 2024 first-round pick (lottery-protected, via Sacramento Kings)
Atlanta Hawks Get: Anthony Davis
This John Collins dunk was nasty 😳
“Collins, 25, should thrive as a lob threat and floor-spacer in a larger role in L.A. He’s a lifetime 37.2 percent shooter from three and has worked his way into being a better defender in year six. A former 21.6 point-per-game scorer, he could once again put up 20 and 10 a night playing next to LeBron James.
Okongwu, an L.A. native and USC product, would become the Lakers’ starting center and has elite defensive potential. Per 36 minutes of play this season, the 21-year-old is putting up 15.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks and making 67.2 percent of his shots,” Swartz wrote in his November 14 article.
The most important thing to note about this trade proposal is that it ensures the Lakers retain their 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks, which are widely seen as the team’s best trade assets, allowing them to remain fluid in the search for a potential new star talent further down the line.
John Collins Would Headline Players Heading to Lakers
On the surface, Swartz’s trade proposal is a fair one. Los Angeles would be getting a floor-spacing forward who can rebound at a high level, an impressive young rim-runner known for his defensive upside, and another ball-handling wing to help the second unit for stretches.
However, it’s John Collins who would be the headline of this deal for the Lakers. Collins, 25, is a career 37% shooter from the perimeter, with career averages of 16.3 points, and 8.3 rebounds per game. Sure, the Utah native isn’t at the level of Davis, but that’s why Okongwu and Holiday are also part of the deal.
John Collins has a new pick-and-roll partner
Overall, Collins would ensure the Lakers have a versatile presence playing alongside James, who doesn’t require a high usage rate and is adept as a screener and off-ball threat, all while injecting some much-needed quality and youth into the rotation.
Kevin Durant Believes Davis is an All-Time Great
Despite Swartz proposing a trade that sees the Lakers move on from Davis, it’s clear that when he’s playing at his best, the superstar forward is still a generational talent. During the Lakers’ most recent victory, a 103-116 win against the Brooklyn Nets, Davis was unstoppable, helping his team with 37 points, 18 rebounds, and two assists while shooting 60% from the field.
Speaking to the media following the game, Kevin Durant heaped praise on Davis, stating that the 29-year-old big man is one of the NBA’s All-Time great players.
“AD has a bad game, I don’t look at it as nothing serious, because he can come out and do this at any given time. So, regardless of its LeBron out there, Russ (Westbrook), Jrue Holiday, any of the teammates he ever had in his career, this is who he is. So, regardless of a bad game or bad stretch, it doesn’t matter to him. He’s an All-Time great,” Durant told the media.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, they currently lack any significant trade assets outside of their draft picks, so taking advantage of Davis’ current performance levels is probably their best chance of making a significant deal without mortgaging their future.
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Shocking Lakers Trade Proposal Sees Anthony Davis Join Forces With MVP Candidate