Getty Lakers star Anthony Davis
On May 6th’s episode of ESPN’s First Take, a former NBA big man proposed a wild trade idea for the Los Angeles Lakers, who missed the playoffs this season after having the second-best preseason odds to win the championship.
Kendrick Perkins, who won the 2008 championship with the Boston Celtics, believes the Lakers should trade Anthony Davis to the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving.
“Listen here. If I’m the Lakers, right, I would consider trading Anthony Davis for Kyrie Irving,” Perkins said. “I think that it’s time for both franchises — the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets — to get a new change, okay. Both of ’em. And I think the players need a new change. I wouldn’t mind seeing Kyrie Irving back with LeBron James, a guy that he went to Finals with and won the championship. Had one of the greatest runs to a championship in NBA history.”
LeBron James and Irving were teammates for three seasons on the Cleveland Cavaliers. They played in three consecutive NBA Finals and won the 2016 title together over the Golden State Warriors.
However, in the summer of 2017, Irving requested a trade from the Cavaliers and was traded to the Celtics. Since Uncle Drew left James, he hasn’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the King has played in two Finals and won a championship since Irving’s trade request.
James & Irving Were a Lethal Duo
James and Irving played in 183 regular-season games together on the Cavaliers. They went 132-51 in the regular season and 39-13 in the playoffs.
James averaged 25.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.8 assists alongside Irving. Meanwhile, Irving put up 22.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game.
Even though Irving requested a trade from the Cavaliers because he no longer wanted to play with James, the two stars patched things up in January 2019 when Irving called James to apologize for the way he handled criticism in Cleveland.
“It was a big deal for me because I had to call Bron, you know, and tell him like, you know, I apologize for being that young player that wanted everything at his fingertips and I wanted everything to be at my threshold,” Irving said on January 16, 2019. “I wanted to be the guy that led us to a championship. I wanted to be the leader. I wanted to be all that, and the responsibility of being the best player in the world and leading your team is something that’s not meant for many people, and Bron was one of those guys that came to Cleveland and tried to really show us what it’s like to win a championship and it was hard for him, and sometimes getting the most out of the group, it’s not the easiest thing in the world.”
According to Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, the Lakers and Russell Westbrook have mutual interest in parting ways this offseason. However, there’s no indication that Los Angeles is interested in trading Davis, who has the same agent as James.
This Trade Idea by Perkins Probably Won’t Happen
Davis has only played in 76 games over the last two seasons due to injuries. His inability to stay healthy has caused some people around the NBA to opine that the Lakers should trade the talented big man this summer.
However, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto doesn’t see that happening since Davis has a “good relationship” with James.
“LeBron and Anthony Davis believe they can be the foundation of a contender when they’re both fully healthy,” Scotto said on his podcast. “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.”
Irving is a better fit next to James than Westbrook is since he can shoot from the perimeter. Kyrie is a career 39.3% shooter from beyond the arc, while Russ is at 30.5%.
While it would certainly be exciting to watch James and Irving be teammates again, the Lakers probably won’t trade Davis this offseason and it’s doubtful the Nets would want Westbrook instead of Irving.