– Begin to make the Lakers his team
By acquiring Davis at this point of his career, the Lakers are not only prepared to win now, they are prepared to win in the future. While many were concerned about giving up the young core, the Lakers did get a young superstar in return.
Davis is just 26-years-old, as he is just entering his prime. While LeBron James did come to the Lakers first and is the bigger name, James might be showing some willingness to pass the Lakers off to Davis.
Shortly after trading for Davis, LeBron actually gave Davis the No.23. This was certainly a nice gesture, and one that could be considered as James being willing to take a step back for Davis. However, due to manufacturing, Davis will not be able to wear the No. 23 this season.
As the younger of the two, Davis will likely be on the Lakers much longer than James will be. Therefore, this will eventually be Davis’ team. There have been many great Lakers big men before him, and like Davis, most didn’t start with the franchise.
With a possible willingness by LeBron to hand over the keys to the castle, the Lakers could very well become Davis’ team sooner rather than later. With a big opportunity in front of him, Davis must seize it.