Amid the 2-8 Lakers’ grim start to the season, Anthony Davis’ name has now come up in trade rumors.
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons first revealed that Davis could be put on the trade table as a “plan B” option to Russell Westbrook, who the Lakers have been shopping for several months.
However off-loading Westbrook and his expiring $47 million contract would likely involve the Lakers also surrendering two future first-round draft picks, with their first rounder this season already tied to New Orleans.
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Whereas a Davis trade could in theory land the Lakers a collection of assets that puts them in a better position long-term … plus how much worse can it get for the interim?
It comes as Westbrook has found new life in a sixth-man role after averaging 19.3 points, 6.8 assists, and 5.3 rebounds in his first six games as a reserve for the Lakers.
For Locked on Lakers’ Andy Kamenetzky though, a Westbrook trade still makes more sense.
But what options would the Lakers have if they actually put David on the table?
“Unless the Lakers are looking to do a very specific scenario – which is starting the rebuild now in the middle of this season … you have to be thinking about something that gives you a return for Davis that keeps you competitive right now – it’s got to be a mutual win-now move,” Andy Kamenetzky said on Locked on Lakers.
“That drastically narrows down your options. The Lakers by definition are not going to trade basically in the entire Western Conference, because you don’t want to trade Davis to a team you’re going to be chasing.
“Unless there’s somebody on the Rockets or Kings you’re dying to get, I don’t see any options, from a practical standpoint, given the hole they’ve dug.”
Davis is contracted until the 2024/25 season – when LeBron James’ deal also expires – for a total of $120 million (around AUD$165m), which includes a player option in the final campaign.
Andy Kamenetzky also believes options for Davis are limited in the Eastern Conference barring a swap for Nets superstar Kevin Durant, who’s on the unsettled franchise’s books until the 2025/26 season for a total of over $190 million.
Although perhaps a fanciful idea, the Nets have been marred by drama this season, most notably around Kyrie Irving, but Durant himself requested a trade over the US summer.
It’s conceivable the Nets at some stage opt to blow up their roster, and if it gets to that, the Lakers would surely be circling.
After all, this is the NBA we’re talking about, and stranger things have happened.
“Kevin Durant is obviously a name that’s going to come up. He may end up wanting out and maybe Brooklyn doesn’t want to bottom out altogether,” Andy Kamenetzky said.
“It’s a shorter commitment to Anthony Davis if nothing else … they (Brooklyn) can have their cake and eat it too. Try to build around Anthony Davis, but if they can’t, it’s not as long-term as a commitment.
“Either way, you wash your hands of this toxic stew that’s been going on.”
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Trading Davis for Durant is a move NBA analyst Skip Bayless was also on board with, saying he’d do it in a “heartbeat” if he were the Lakers.
“I’m not sure it would fix it, but it would change life and it would shake it up with a Richter scale magnitude,” Bayless said on Undisputed.
“It would be the talk of the world that Durant went to the Lakers and now Anthony Davis is a Net.
“I’m not sure (Nets owner) Joe Tsai would do that because he would think Anthony Davis is a downgrade to Kevin Durant.”
Other potential trade partners Andy Kamenetzky named for Davis were the Bulls and Celtics.
But he admitted trading Davis to the Lakers’ bitter rivals Boston, who are among the championship favorites, to make them even stronger would be a bold call.
“I don’t know exactly what you do, but the idea that the Lakers are going to potentially trade Davis to the Celtics to possibly get them the ring that puts them further ahead in the chase … that’s a tough one to spin, he said.
“I’m sure you could find another team, but the point being, there’s not a lot that jumps out at you as an immediate mutual win-now move the Lakers can trade Davis if they’re still looking to stay competitive.
“I think it’s Westbrook just because it’s easier to trade Russ for pieces that could help you now than it would be to trade Davis for pieces that would help you now.”
Despite dropping off from his previous best heights, Davis has still averaged an elite 22.5 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game this season.
However the big man, who’s been hampered by injuries throughout his career and has declined as a shooter, has copped considerable criticism for the Lakers’ woes this season including former NBA player saying their struggles are “92 percent” his fault.
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And so Locked on Lakers’ Brian Kamentzky believes a Davis trade would almost definitely signal the franchise is moving into rebuild mode.
“I think if they trade Davis, it is entirely a we’re done, blow it up kind of thing,” he said.
“It wouldn’t be for DeRozan. It would be for a larger expiring contract, as many expiring contracts as you could get and maybe one good young player you could find.
“I’m talking about a Jared Vanderbilt type young player – not a star – not a Tyrese Haliburton like Indiana got.
“The problem here though is, you’re selling so low on AD (Davis) when you trade him right now. The belief in Anthony Davis around the league is extraordinarily low.
“I don’t think you’re going to get a Rudy Gobert type return or a Donovan Mitchell … because the national mood on Anthony Davis is down.”
Elsewhere, Fox Sports’ (US) Chris Broussard on First Things First threw up a Davis for Damian Lillard swap, suggesting it’d be a win-win for both the Lakers and Trail Blazers.
Meanwhile ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith suggested LA reaches out to Golden State and inquires about a Draymond Green and Klay Thompson package.
“If I’m the Los Angeles Lakers, I might pick up the phone and call Bob Meyers and Joe Lacob and say: ‘(For) Anthony Davis, give me Klay Thompson and Draymond,'” Smith said.
“They’re (Golden State) not looking to pay everybody … I want activity and guys I know are going to play.
“A prolific shooter and an energizer bunny who holds people accountable. Yes, I’d think about that.”
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