Lakers Could Replace Anthony Davis With New LeBron James ‘Sidekick’: Analyst

Could the Los Angeles Lakers replace Anthony Davis with a new LeBron James “sidekick” this summer? It’s possible.

In a February 15 column, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley wrote that the Lakers “could look completely different” in 2023-24 depending on how the end of this season goes.

“LeBron James’ tenure with the Lakers is becoming defined by roster turnover,” Buckley wrote. “Last season, 25 different players suited up for this squad. Only four still reside in Hollywood: James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and Wenyen Gabriel. Clearly, this front office isn’t afraid of making major changes, and more could go down this summer. James, Davis and rookie Max Christie are the only Lakers with fully guaranteed salaries for next season. Malik Beasley has a team option, Jarred Vanderbilt has a partial guarantee and Mo Bamba’s $10.3 million salary is non-guaranteed. L.A. reshaped much of its supporting cast at the deadline, landing a handful of players who could stick with the franchise long-term but didn’t come with significant (or, in some cases, any) financial commitments to them. The upcoming stretch run may dictate the direction of this franchise.

“If the Lakers not only secure a playoff ticket but make some noise in the postseason, maybe that convinces the front office to cover the free-agency costs of D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura (restricted). If they are competitive but lack star power, maybe that’s the motivation for another run at Kyrie Irving. If nothing goes according to plan and they flat-line over the coming months, perhaps they could poke around for a more reliable LeBron sidekick than Davis has been.”

The Lakers traded Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley, Damian Jones, Thomas Bryant and Juan Toscano-Anderson at the trade deadline. The purple and gold, who are only in 13th place in the Western Conference standings, acquired D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Mo Bamba and Davon Reed. Los Angeles also traded Kendrick Nunn to the Washington Wizards for Rui Hachimura in January.

The Lakers Only Have 3 Players Locked in for Next Season

The Lakers only have three players locked in for next season: James, Davis and Max Christie. Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus went into detail about Los Angeles’ future on February 14.

“The team will have three restricted free agents: Austin Reaves, Scotty Pippen Jr. (currently on a two-way contract) and Hachimura,” Pincus wrote. “L.A. will have the right of first refusal should any teams seek to poach them this summer. Notably, Reaves is subject to the ‘Arenas provision,’ which limits how much other franchises can issue in an offer sheet. Four players have non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed salaries: Bamba ($10.3 million), Vanderbilt ($4.7 million with $300,000 guaranteed), Reed ($2,066,585) and two-way Cole Swider ($50,000 guaranteed). The deadlines (except for Swider) range from soon after the season to early July—although a cut-down date can be pushed back if the player agrees to do so.

“Before the end of June, Los Angeles must decide on Malik Beasley’s $16.5 million team option. The rest will be unrestricted. The Lakers will have full Bird rights for Russell, Hachimura and Beasley (if opted out). Wenyen Gabriel and Reaves have early Bird rights, which should max out in the $11-12 million range. The rest have non-Bird rights, which allow for a raise of up to 20 percent. For instance, the Lakers could re-sign Lonnie Walker IV for a starting salary of up to $7.8 million via his rights.”

Davis signed a five-year, $190 million contract with the Lakers in December 2020. The deal includes an early termination option in 2024 and will be fully up in 2025. Davis, 29, has the same agent (Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group) as James. The Chicago native is averaging 17.0 points and 15.0 rebounds while shooting only 41.2% from the field over his last four games. The Lakers are 1-3 during that stretch and Davis deactivated his Instagram account after the LakeShow lost to the Portland Trail Blazers on February 13.

Many Lakers Fans Are Mad at Anthony Davis

Several Lakers fans are upset at Davis, who hasn’t been able to stay healthy since helping Los Angeles win the 2020 championship. Even though the Brow is averaging 25.9 points and 12.4 rebounds on the season, he hasn’t played up to his superstar potential lately.

Davis has scored under 20 points in three of his past four games.

The Lakers will pursue Kyrie Irving in unrestricted free agency this summer, sources told Heavy Sports. The franchise wants to have a Big 3 of James, Davis and Irving.

However, if Davis can’t prove to the Lakers that he’s a reliable star, Los Angeles’ front office could look to move him.