– Didn’t give up the young core
In the trade talks for Davis, it really appeared like the Lakers were willing to give up nearly everyone. In one reported trade offer, the Lakers were sending Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma among others to the Pelicans for Davis.
Landed in Indy; update on Lakers-Pelicans talks. Magic Johnson, Dell Demps talked twice today, per source. Lakers willing to give Pelicans cap relief for Anthony Davis by taking Solomon Hill for Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Ingram, Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Beasley, 2 1st round picks.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) February 4, 2019
If the Pelicans were smart, they would have accepted that offer from the Lakers. While Davis is a fantastic player, it is hard to imagine that the Pelicans are going to get a better offer than that. If the Pelicans were able to acquire those three, plus others, they would have been set up for a rather quick rebuild.
However, the Pelicans had a ridiculous asking price for Davis, and that means that the Lakers still have their young core. While all of these rumors might have had an effect on them, once the trade deadline passes, they should be focused on winning and worry about the rest in the offseason.
While Ball is still out with an ankle injury, the Lakers have one of the best young cores in the NBA. Hopefully, they learn from all of the distractions and move forward. If they do, the Lakers can once again be a threat in the Western Conference.