3. Trading for Anthony Davis in 2019
The Anthony Davis trade saga pretty much lasted an entire season, with him almost getting dealt to the Lakers at the trade deadline in 2018 and then being eventually traded that next summer in 2019. The trade deadline fiasco pretty much derailed their 2018 playoff chances, but it has proven to be very much worth it this season.
The Lakers are off to the best start of the decade and a lot of their success can be attributed to the addition of Anthony Davis. Some credit should also go to General Manager Rob Pelinka who was able to get the deal done despite being ridiculed publicly in the media for not getting the job done previously.
After dealing for Davis it was clear that the Lakers were going to be one of the favorites to win the NBA title this season. It even got them in the conversation to sign the big fish in free agency, Kawhi Leonard. Despite Leonard choosing the Clippers, Davis made the Lakers go from a team with potential, to a team with a destiny.
Pairing Davis with LeBron this summer gave the King the best big man he has ever played with, that has the ability to take over games like his counterpart Dwyane Wade once did in Miami. Their offensive chemistry proved to be instantaneous, and their pick and roll is one of the hardest to defend since the days of Stockton and Malone, but instead of Stockton driving the lane it is James.
It is hard to believe but Anthony Davis somehow improved this offseason and added more of an outside jumper to his offensive arsenal. He is averaging a career-high 3.7 3-point attempts per game this season, and he already has 33 3-pointers made this season. He has never made more than 55 in any season prior to this one.
His defense has also been incredible this season, and he has stated that he wants to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award for the first time in his career this season. He is making a great case for himself by averaging 2.5 blocks, 1.5 steals, and 6.9 defensive rebounds a game.
Prior to this season, the only time you could have seen LeBron playing with Davis would be in an All-Star game. Now, that dream scenario is a reality for the Lakers. It is no wonder why they are off to their best start of the decade with both of them on the roster.