Los Angeles Lakers: 5 biggest disappointments in 2018-19 season

3. The Anthony Davis trade talks

The Anthony Davis trade talks completely disassembled the progress of the Lakers and caused strife and uncertainty amongst the team. After most of the Lakers core players were thrown around in trade packages for the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis, players were unable to focus during games and their motivation was drained, even leading to a 42 point loss to the Indiana Pacers.

Rumor has it that the Pelicans never intended to trade with the Lakers, to begin with, and that they only engaged in talks to cause distention in the team. Well, if that was their aim, then their plan worked. The Lakers never recovered from the aftershock of the Davis trade talks.

This summer, Davis will be one of the most sought after players by the Lakers. So, the drama will inevitably renew itself and leave the Lakers in a never-ending struggle especially if they don’t acquire the future Hall of Famer.

Magic Johnson shouldn’t shake up the team with heavy trade talks in the middle of the season, and this is one disappointment that could have been avoided if the Lakers and Pelicans kept their trade talks behind closed doors. Also, sources say the Pelicans were turned off from trading with the Lakers because of the public spectacle that began after Davis’ trade demand.