Getty Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been a train wreck this season. Despite having LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, the purple and gold are in 10th place in the Western Conference standings and likely won’t win the championship.
This season has been so bad for the Lakers that Brian Windhorst of ESPN thinks the franchise will entertain the idea of trading Davis this summer. AD is one of the top two-way players in the NBA, but injuries have limited him to 73 games over the past two seasons.
“I think it will be something that’s discussed,” Windhorst said of a Davis trade on ESPN’s Get Up. “I think it would be a mistake because you’re still talking about a guy, when healthy, is a top-15 player. You’re not gonna be replacing it.”
If the Lakers trade Davis, LeBron could be upset since he won a championship with the Brow in 2020 and wanted him as his teammate in Los Angeles. The King becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023, but he could ask for a trade this offseason if Davis is moved since it would make no sense for him to play on a team without another superstar at this stage of his career.
However, it’s worth mentioning that Windhorst — who has been covering LeBron since LBJ was in high school — said on Get Up the four-time MVP loves living in Los Angeles.
Windhorst on LeBron: ‘I Don’t Think He Wants to Move’
LeBron’s two sons play basketball at Sierra Canyon high school. By playing for the Lakers, LeBron not only gets to be around his family a lot, but he also gets to live in beautiful, sunny California.
“LeBron loves living in LA,” Windhorst said on Get Up. “(He) loves raising his kids there, loves sending them to that high school, Sierra Canyon. I don’t think he wants to move.”
LeBron is two titles and two Finals MVPs away from tying his childhood idol, Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. The Lakers have gone 18-7 in the past two postseasons when Davis and LeBron were in the lineup and able to finish the game. The two superstars are a lethal dynamic duo, but LeBron will turn 38 next season and Davis is too injury-prone to rely on.
With that said, if the Lakers can get a grand haul in return for Davis, it may be smart to move on from him even if the deal makes LeBron angry.
What Could Lakers Get for Davis?
It’s hard to gauge what Davis’ trade value around the league is since he’s been injured so much. He was putting up 23.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game this season before getting hurt for a second time on February 16 against the Utah Jazz.
However, the Chicago native was shooting only 18.2% from beyond the arc.
The Lakers traded Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball and three draft picks to the New Orleans Pelicans in July 2019 to acquire Davis. It’s doubtful LA can get a similar haul for Davis since the eight-time All-Star’s body keeps betraying him.
It will be interesting to see what the Lakers do this summer. Most pundits expect Westbrook to get traded, but Davis and LeBron’s future needs to be addressed too.