This offseason there have been some calls for the Los Angeles Lakers to trade LeBron James but his new contract will keep that from happening anytime soon. While that’s good for the team now, they still don’t have a strong enough roster to compete for a championship. The team is desperate to trade away Russell Westbrook to try and improve the roster but they can’t expect to get a great return for him.
If the Lakers feel like they need a complete retooling to get back into contention, they may need to consider deals for Anthony Davis. Sean Deveney of Heavy.com recently reported that there are those in the organization who would like to see Davis’ value around the NBA. The team hasn’t started shopping him but it’s interesting that some would be open to it. Deveney spoke to another Western Conference executive who believes that the Chicago Bulls could provide an interesting trade partner for Los Angeles if they decide to shop Davis.
“The main way it would happen if it was going to happen was to get Davis somewhere he wants to go, and the main place he’d want to go is Chicago, where he’s from,” the executive told Deveney. “Now, some guys do not want to play in their hometown but I think AD would welcome that, he spoke on that before. Doesn’t mean it would happen, they have not gone out and tried to trade him, but there could be something simple like Zach LaVine for AD, you get a pair of guys going to places they really want to be. It would have to wait until January but that would be the deal that makes the most sense if AD is going to change teams.”
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LaVine Not as Good as Davis
LaVine is a good player and it’s not a secret that he’s had an interest in playing for the Lakers. However, he just signed a new deal that keeps him with the Bulls until 2027. That could put his Los Angeles dreams on hold for quite a while unless a Davis deal materializes but that seems highly unlikely. First of all, they are both Klutch Sports clients. Davis is from Chicago but he specifically wanted to be a Laker. It might get tricky with agent Rich Paul if the big man doesn’t want to be moved.
Also, there’s the fact that LaVine just isn’t as good as Davis. He’s an elite scorer and shooter but doesn’t bring nearly the same amount of defense as Davis does. The Bulls would have to figure out how to sweeten the pot for the Lakers for this deal to work.
Lakers Won’t Trade Davis This Year
After this upcoming season, anything can be on the table for the Lakers if they’re bad again. Another disappointing season could lead to sweeping changes. Davis is arguably a top-five player when he’s healthy and playing his best basketball. It’s difficult to get equal value for him in a trade, especially since his value has taken a hit over the last two seasons.
Davis will be a Laker this season but don’t be surprised if he gets moved if he has another injury-plagued year.
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