With Kevin Durant calling the environment around LeBron James toxic, it is evidently clear that Durant won’t be joining the Lakers next season. However, the stars look aligned for one superstar to join LeBron and Lakers - Anthony Davis. But acquiring him for the New Orleans Pelicans is easier said than done.
Remember, Davis is not a free agent until the end of next season, meaning the Lakers have two alternatives to acquire him. They can either wait until he becomes a Free Agent and offer him a contract or trade for him before the trade deadline this season or in the next season.
It’s improbable that the Lakers will acquire him before the trade deadline of February 7, 2019. The Lakers trade package will obviously consist of their great young core of Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, Kentavious Caldwell Pope and Josh Hart as the Pelicans will not settle and compromise because Davis is a top 5 player in the NBA.
Here comes the first problem. Which of these young guys should the Lakers offer? Kuzma looks like he’s going to be an All-Star in the next few seasons. Lonzo Ball is inconsistent but when he’s at his best, he looks like a veteran guard with 10 years of experience. He’s also shooting a lot better from beyond the arc this season.
Josh Hart is turning into a sniper from long range who puts in an incredible amount of effort night after night. Brandom Ingram has flashes of excellence but he hasn’t really lived up to the expectations. Kentavious Caldwell Pope has veto power on any trade including him.
The second problem is that the Lakers need to hold on to these young players as assets for when they eventually decide to trade for Davis. This means that they have to compromise on their short-term success this season.
Lakers could’ve easily planned a trade to sign someone like a Bradley Beal of the Washinton Wizards this season but were hesitant to do so because they want to reserve their trade assets for Davis when the time comes. This will hamper their success this season because someone like Beal is a perfect match to play alongside LeBron James.
The third problem is the most concerning one. What if the New Orleans Pelicans decide to trade him to Boston Celtics who will have an equal if not a better offer consisting a package of Jason Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier along with a bunch of draft picks? That will mean that the Lakers would have sacrificed their short-term success for nothing and who knows how valuable their young players will be by then.
Anthony Davis signed with Rich Paul this year who already represents LeBron James and that makes Lakers the favorite to land Anthony Davis but on some inspection, it’s not really that easy.
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