The opportunity has come for the Los Angeles Lakers to pair LeBron James with another star, that other star being Anthony Davis. Since Davis has requested a trade, his name has been linked heavily to the Lakers. Davis said in his formal trade request that he wanted to play for a team that could compete for a championship consistently. Davis and James are also both clients to Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, which makes it seem like Los Angeles would be the perfect trade destination for Davis.
Why The Lakers Need To Trade For Anthony Davis Right Now
The Lakers Can Make The Best Offer
At this moment, the Lakers can give the Pelicans the best combination of draft picks and young, promising players. The Lakers can offer a full arsenal of draft picks as well as potential assets to the Pelicans. Such assets include Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Ivica Zubac. Of all teams that have the ability to trade for Davis now, the Lakers can clearly make the best offer. However, the Boston Celtics are rumored to have interest in Davis, but they can not do business for Davis as long as Kyrie Irving opts out. This is commonly known of as the “Derrick Rose Rule.”
The Lakers should be the front-runners to land Davis if they are willing to part with their young core. Although many fans aren’t in favor of trading away players like Ball, Ingram, Kuzma, Hart, or Zubac, a combination of these players is what it would take to land a talent of Davis’ caliber. Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka need to be trying everything in their power to land Davis before the trade deadline. This is the best opportunity the Lakers will have to add another star until free agency in the off-season.
LeBron James Isn’t Getting Any Younger
James is now in his 16th season in the NBA, and he is 34 years old. That amount of time in the league takes a toll on any players’ body. Nobody knows exactly when James will retire, but it’s fair to say that his future in the NBA is in question. That being said, the Lakers need to build a championship caliber team around him as soon as possible. James was brought to Los Angeles to be the centerpiece of the next Lakers dynasty. So far, Lakers management has not been able to bring in any other stars to help James. He is widely known as the best basketball player in the world. With a player of such tremendous talent, it is crucial that the Lakers take advantage of his presence and attempt to capitalize on every year he has left.
Learn From The Past
The Lakers have seen situations play out in the past with marquee players such as Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. The Lakers opted not to trade for either player at the time. This backfired in George’s case when he decided to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder last off-season. Leonard’s situation hasn’t fully played out yet. He will become a free agent at the end of this season, but it is seemingly becoming more obvious that the Lakers are falling down Leonard’s list of teams that he wants to play for. Leonard once stated that he would only re-sign with the Lakers, but those rumors have since cooled down. It now seems like he is open-minded.
The Lakers would be wise to learn from these past experiences and attempt to acquire Davis at any means necessary. His situation differs from George and Leonard because he will not be a free agent at the end of this season, but the lesson is still the same for the Lakers. They need to trade for top-notch talent whenever they have the opportunity to do so. Preserving the young core already in place is important. However, superstars like Davis run the NBA, and chances like this do not come around every day.
Main Photo
WASHINGTON, USA – DECEMBER 19: New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis (23) tries to keep the ball away from Washington Wizards’ John Wall (2) during the NBA match between Washington Wizards and New Orleans Pelicans at the Capital One Arena in Washington, United States on December 19, 2017.
(Photo by Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
