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The Los Angeles Lakers have just a few options to improve their roster this offseason and the team (along with Klutch Sports) may be forced to explore trading Anthony Davis. LeBron James pushed for the Lakers to acquire Davis back in 2019 and the experiment initially worked as Los Angeles went on to win the title. Since then, Davis has played in just 73 total games the last two seasons as the big man battled a multitude of injuries.
If James cares about winning above everything, the superstar could be confronted with the reality that his best chance to get back into contention may be trading Davis. These are murky waters for the Lakers to navigate given Davis is one of Klutch Sports’ biggest clients.
ESPN’s Zach Lowe and The Ringer’s Bill Simmons recently discussed potential “fake trades” for the Lakers to explore revolving around Davis. One idea has the Lakers making a surprising trade with the Warriors. Los Angeles receives former No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins along with the two Warriors’ 2021 lottery picks Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
“Alright, this does nothing for LeBron, but I think the Lakers would at least have to have a meeting,” Simmons noted during a March 7 edition of “The Lowe Post” podcast. “What if it’s just Wiggins, Kuminga and Moody for Davis?”
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James Rejected Playing With Wiggins in 2014
Lowe was rightfully skeptical of how this trade would be received by James. There is a tad bit of irony here as Wiggins was selected by the Cavaliers with the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA draft, but James’ preference was to play with established veterans when he re-signed with the team that summer. Cleveland later dealt Wiggins to the Timberwolves as part of a blockbuster trade for Kevin Love.
Kuminga and Moses have plenty of upside but are likely unappealing options for James. Could the Lakers convince James that trading Davis for this trio of players is the right move to win in 2022?
“It just doesn’t do anything for LeBron,” Lowe said of the Warriors-Lakers trade idea. “LeBron doesn’t care.”
Simmons countered that the Lakers could opt to play hardball with James. The superstar still has one more year remaining on his current contract.
“How about this, do I care what LeBron thinks?” Simmons countered. “I have him under contract next year and he has to live in Los Angeles. And I am positive the Lakers don’t care what LeBron thinks about next year’s roster.”
The Lakers Will Likely Push for Veterans in a Potential A.D. Trade
This hypothetical trade has all the makings of helping the Lakers build for the future, but if the front office explores a deal for Davis the team will likely push for veterans in return. Wiggins is an intriguing option and is coming off his first All-Star season. The Warriors guard is averaging 17.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting a career-high 40.7% from long range this season.
Kuminga has flashed in his limited NBA opportunities but is only averaging 15.7 minutes per game thanks to the deep Warriors bench. The forward is posting 8.8 points and three rebounds per game while shooting 34.5% from the three-point line. Moses has been utilized even less averaging 4.6 points and 1.6 rebounds while shooting 35.6% from long range in 11.4 minutes.
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