Los Angeles Lakers: Will Anthony Davis leave if the Lakers underperform?
By Jason Reed
Reasons why Anthony Davis could leave the Los Angeles Lakers
Of course, we have to be fair and look at both sides of the coin when we are talking about Anthony Davis potentially leaving the Los Angeles Lakers. Here are the reasons why Davis might consider a new home if the Lakers disappoint in the first two rounds.
1. The potential regression of LeBron James with no means to get better
If the Los Angeles Lakers are bounced in the first two rounds of the NBA Playoffs then it likely means that LeBron James did not look like himself. While I would not be overly concerned about his performance in the bubble thus far, the entire point of this article indicates that LeBron would regress in the playoffs.
We are not predicting that LeBron will regress in the playoffs, but it is safe to say that the Lakers will not lose in the first two rounds if we get the same LeBron. If they lose, LeBron’s poor play will be a factor.
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And that is the main reason why Davis might want to leave. Perhaps he sees the beginning of the end with LeBron James and when you look at how the Lakers are constructed, an Anthony Davis extension (or even the player option) really restricts the team from getting better.
If the Lakers disappoint in the playoffs what avenues do they have to get better in 2020? Sure, you could make the case for a breakout veteran minimum or mid-level exception in free agency, but they really do not have many means to improve.
2. He has seen how this plays out before
There is one trend about LeBron James-led teams: once LeBron leaves, the teams are absolutely decimated and take years to recover. That will be the case with the Lakers with very little draft capital and not much young talent to bank on.
If there is any doubt about recruiting another star then Davis might see the beginning of the end and go start up another superstar partnership.
There is not much franchise loyalty in the NBA anymore and we have seen guys like Kyrie Irving want out of a good situation to be “the guy” on another team. Perhaps that could happen with Davis.