Los Angeles Lakers: 5 reasons Anthony Davis trade is a win
The Toronto Raptors won their first title in franchise history, but it is the Los Angeles Lakers who are the talk of the NBA world and are even the favorites to win the 2020 championship in Las Vegas. This is all because of the move they made for Anthony Davis, that will set them up as contenders now and in the future.
It was a shock to the basketball world less than a year ago when LeBron James said he was going to play on the west coast for the Los Angeles Lakers. An even bigger shock came later when no other big name player followed to come as his sidekick in Los Angeles.
That lead the Lakers to have yet another disappointing season and drove them into making a win-now move for the best big man in the game, Anthony Davis. This was a move they had to make, and this will be a list that focuses on why the Lakers made the right decision making this trade.
The official parameters of the trade were that the Lakers receive Anthony Davis in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, three first round picks, and the right to exchange picks in two other drafts with New Orleans.
History has shown that, usually, the team that gets the best player or superstar is the team that ends up winning mega-deals like this one long term. Even last season showed that going all in for a top-5 player in the league can yield a championship when Kawhi Leonard helped the Raptors capture their first title after being traded there last offseason.
The number one argument against this move is that both LeBron and AD were injured last season, and Davis has been prone to injury throughout his career. This trade is betting a ton that these guys will stay healthy, and is mortgaging their future to try and capitalize on James’ short window for success.
This trade should be considered a win, but they did give up a ton to make this deal happen. Not only did they give away their two past No. 2 overall picks that the fans have been sold on for the last three years, but they also gave up draft capital that has been compared to the Nets and Celtics trade that made the Celtics rich with draft assets. However, the comparison was made by notorious Lakers cynic Brian Windhorst on ESPN 710, so one might take it with a grain of salt.
Even after giving up all of those assets, it is still worth it for a player like Davis. There is simply nothing he can’t do on a basketball court and he is a generational talent at the power forward position. The picks and the players the Lakers gave up in the deal for him can only hope to develop into a player that is half accomplished as AD.
There is also no need to worry about the future because, with Davis, the Lakers have a star in the middle of his prime that almost every player in the league will want to play with. When LBJ’s play inevitably starts declining or he abruptly retires, there will be a line of star players waiting to take his place as co-captain of the most glamorous franchise in the NBA alongside the Brow.
Here are five reasons the agreed upon trade for Davis is a win for the Lakers.