It is impossible to call the LeBron James-Anthony Davis duo a failure for the Los Angeles Lakers. At the end of the day, the duo brought home the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2020 and that alone means that this has been a success.
However, it is impossible to feel like the Lakers missed on a much bigger championship window. Injuries plagued the team in 2021 and then the front office over-corrected by trading for Russell Westbrook ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Westbrook not only doesn’t fit well in LA but his contract kept the team from adding quality depth and is going to continue to restrict the team as he is making $47 million next season. Unless Westbrook completely reinvents himself (not likely) then that trade alone may have closed the Lakers title window.
If the Los Angeles Lakers made a different trade then they may have won multiple more championships
Of course, we are operating with the benefit of hindsight but there is one trade that was actually on the table for the Los Angeles Lakers that the team did not make. That is a mistake that the Lakers are going to remember for quite some time as it completely changed the trajectory of the team moving forward.
In the following pages, we are going to break down that massive missed trade and explain why it could have not only led to a championship last season but would have likely resulted in another title either this season or next season.
The Los Angeles Lakers missed out on a Kyle Lowry trade
The Toronto Raptors were shopping Kyle Lowry at the NBA trade deadline last season and the Los Angeles Lakers were in the mix. The Lakers appeared to be the favorites to land the all-star guard but at the end of the day, the Lakers rejected the Raptors’ proposal.
The Raptors wanted Talen Horton-Tucker in the package. The Lakers said no, and fittingly enough, now they are shopping him for worse players, like Buddy Hield. THT’s value isn’t as high as the Lakers thought and it is clear that they missed the window to trade him for max value.
Here is what the deal could have looked like, based on the reports we were hearing last season.
Jovan Buha and Bill Oram of The Athletic reported that the Lakers were offering Dennis Schroder, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and draft picks in return for Kyle Lowry. All the Lakers needed to do was add Talen Horton-Tucker and this is probably a done deal! Heck, throw in a pick swap in a future year if you have to because, in hindsight, it is clear that the Lakers would not be trading all that much away.
The Raptors only had half a season left of Lowry and this is much better than the team got after the season in the sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat. Plus, it is not like the Raptors were in a place to contend, so based on what we know, they would have likely said yes to this package.
Lowry then would have played out the rest of the season in LA and would have re-signed with the team. Lowry signed a three-year, $90 million contract with the Heat in the sign-and-trade. If the Lakers just traded for him at the deadline they would have had the leverage as they would have had his Bird Rights. A team like the Heat couldn’t afford Lowry unless it was a sign and trade!
Lowry would have been a Laker for multiple years and it would have led to multiple titles. First, let’s break down how Lowry could have changed last season.
Why the Los Angeles Lakers would have likely won the title with Kyle Lowry last season:
The Los Angeles Lakers were up two games to one against the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. It was clear that the size of LeBron James and Anthony Davis was too much of a mismatch for the Suns and as long as the Laker stayed healthy they would have won the series.
Unfortunately, AD could not stay healthy and the Lakers lost the next three games. LeBron James still played great but he simply had no help. Dennis Schroder was tasked with being the second-best player without AD and he could not do it.
Lowry would have been a different situation. Having Lowry as the second-best player without Anthony Davis absolutely would have changed things and it is hard to see the Lakers dropping three in a row to the Suns with Lowry.
Even if the Lakers would have won just one of those three games, they would have pushed it to a Game 7, where Anthony Davis may have actually been able to return. The Lakers rushed him back and he got hurt in Game 6.
Anthony Davis would have returned later in the playoffs. The Lakers just had to get past Phoenix and they would have likely represented the Western Conference in the NBA Finals. With Lowry, they would have gotten past Phoenix and they would have taken on a Bucks team that also benefited from injuries to get there.
And with all due respect to Giannis Antetokounmpo, a trio of LeBron, AD and Lowry would have been too much for the Bucks to handle in the NBA Finals.
Why the Los Angeles Lakers would have won at least one more title with Kyle Lowry:
The talent alone should be enough of a reason. Look how well Kyle Lowry has played with the Miami Heat this season and how good the Heat have been. Jimmy Butler has been phenomenal next to Lowry and Lowry has shown that he can play with someone like Butler who handles the ball a lot.
You know who else handles the ball a lot? LeBron James. Lowry would have been a fantastic point guard to put on this team. Someone who is not concerned with how many points he scores and just wants to win. Someone who is a leader and plays gritty basketball. All the things Russell Westbrook doesn’t do.
Not only would the talent be enough because Lowry is much better than Westbrook, but the pieces around this trio would have been much better as well. One of Kyle Kuzma or Montrezl Harrell would still in LA (probably Kuzma) and the Lakers would have been able to re-sign Alex Caruso because they would not have to sign THT to a new deal.
The salary situation would be similar but the Lakers would at least have some flexibility with the chance to trade Kuzma or even Harrell if he opted into his deal for a future upgrade. Flexibility is key for a contender and the team just does not have it.
With that talent and that flexibility, I find it hard-pressed to think that the Lakers would not have outlasted the Suns and Warriors in the Western Conference and won at least one more title in Lowry’s three years under contract.
LeBron could have had six, the Lakers could have had 19. Instead, they have Russell Westbrook and a fat luxury tax payment.