Returning to the Present:
The potential deal for Davis has fallen through, at least until the season ends. But there could well be repercussions. The young players whose names were continuously thrown out as trade bait said all the right things publicly, that they know it’s a business, they can’t control being traded, it’s an honor to be wanted by other teams, blah blah blah.
However, even though we might all tell them to forget about it and start manning up, it’s human nature to be hurt when you find out that both your employer and the team’s best player has shown that you are not as highly valued as you thought you were. Randle experienced something similar last year.
Remember when the Lakers momentarily traded Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom for Chris Paul? The NBA Commissioner voided the deal, and Gasol and Odom remained with LA. But Odom was emotionally devastated by the trade and was never again the same player.
Who knows how this will play out? Maybe guys like Kuzma, Ingram and Ball will get past it. Perhaps they’ll continue to progress. After all, each showed signs of the player he might someday consistently become during LeBron’s 18-game absence. And both Kuzma and Ingram played well in the victory over the Celtics. But maybe one or more will sulk and lose his way, as Odom did.
The season has just two months to go. The Lakers are currently in 10th place, but they certainly can still make up enough ground to make the playoffs.
The two teams directly in front of them went in different directions at the trade deadline. Sacramento got stronger by acquiring Harrison Barnes while keeping its impressive young core intact. Meanwhile, the Clippers sacrificed their leading scorer, Tobias Harris, because their management understands the importance of improving themselves in the long run.