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A rough season for the Los Angeles Lakers just keeps getting worse. The season started off poorly as the team struggled to win consistently. The hope was that the Lakers’ trio of superstars in LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook would eventually work out the kinks. That hasn’t been the case as the team is the ninth seed in the Western Conference with a 27-31 record.
To make matters worse, Davis is going to miss most of the rest of the regular season with an ankle injury. This is the second season in a row that his year has been derailed by a serious injury. Even when Davis was healthy, he didn’t look like the unstoppable force he was during his first year with the team. While there should be concerns about the big man’s future, the Lakers could be wise to sell high before he loses value.
If Los Angeles decides to trade Davis, they’ll need a big haul in return. The team can’t accept anything less than a superstar of equal value or a package of multiple All-Stars. Fox Sports’ Chris Broussard believes the Lakers could at the Miami Heat to cut a deal.
“Somebody who works in the league, works with a lot of players, we talked after the deadline, said he would’ve done Anthony Davis for Bam Adebayo,” Broussard said on The Odd Couple. “I disagree … I would do him for Bam and Jimmy [Butler] … we know Riley likes stars. He might do that.”
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Would This Be a Fair Deal for Lakers?
If Davis is healthy and playing at the level he did during the Lakers’ championship season two years ago, a package surrounding Butler and Adebayo is not good enough. Butler is a perennial All-Star and a consistently strong defender. However, he’s 32-years-old and hasn’t always had an easy time getting along with teammates. It’s easy to see him butting heads with LeBron.
Adebayo is appealing as he’s only 24-years-old and one of the NBA’s best defensive big men. His ceiling on offense is much lower than Davis’ and has also dealt with injury issues. If the Lakers do decide to trade the superstar, this might be one of the better packages they could get. Adding Adebayo and Butler to a roster with LeBron could be good enough to compete for a title. That said, the ceiling would likely be lower.
Would Lakers Actually Consider Trading Davis?
Less than two years ago, it looked like Davis was the next great Laker. He was supposed to take the mantle as team leader from LeBron and lead the charge for years to come. ESPN even ranked him as the second-best player in the NBA after the championship.
Opinions on Davis are as low as they’ve ever been. He just can’t stay healthy and his play hasn’t been consistent enough to suggest he’s even still a top-10 player. Considering all of that, it’d still be difficult for the Lakers to trade him. He’s still just 28-years-old and is as talented as anybody in the NBA. Los Angeles should see how Davis plays when he returns from injury this season before even considering a trade.
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