Despite being one of the most talented players in the league, there is a contingent of Los Angeles Lakers fans that want to see the team shop Anthony Davis this offseason. While a bad trade should obviously be avoided, you cannot completely blame the Lakers for at least testing the waters and seeing what they can get.
While Davis is one of the seven or eight best players in the league when he is at his best, the problem is that he has not been able to stay healthy. Davis has a long injury history in the NBA and injuries don’t typically get better for big guys as they approach their 30s.
It would not be a bad thing if the Lakers flipped Davis or another elite big that is younger, even if that elite big does not have as high of a ceiling as AD. That is the premise of our proposed Minnesota Timberwolves trade.
Greg Patuto of NBA Analysis Network put together a similar trade package with the Phoenix Suns that follows the same kind of premise: the Los Angeles Lakers flipping Anthony Davis for a younger big.
This would be a sign-and-trade deal as Ayton is going to be a restricted free agent this offseason after failing to agree to a max contract extension with the Phoenix Suns. It is clear that Phoenix does not think that Ayton is worth the max but they do not want to lose the asset for nothing. If they can flip his salary for another max player, they would do that 10/10 times, regardless of the luxury tax.
Phoenix can sign Ayton up to a five-year, $172.6 million contract. However, to make this trade work, Ayton agrees to a deal that pays him $30 million per season, which is just under the max salary. While Ayton wants the max, the most he can get as a restricted free agent is a four-year, $127.9 million deal. So he is not leaving much money on the table.
The Lakers also get a depth three and D guy in Jae Crowder as well as two draft picks. This seems like a steal, especially if the Lakers are actually worried about AD’s health, right?
Should the Los Angeles Lakers pass or pursue this potential Anthony Davis trade?
While on the surface it seems like a good package to get a former first overall pick, a role player and two draft picks for an oft-injured Davis, the Lakers should pass on this potential trade package.
While Ayton is definitely talented, he is not someone who can be the second-best player on a title-contending team. He is undoubtedly important to the Phoenix Suns but in trading him to Los Angeles, he would have to become the second-best player next to LeBron James and it simply won’t work out.
The Lakers struggle with floor-spacing already with Davis on the roster and it would only be worse with Ayton. He is a traditional rim-running big who does play good defense and is an offensive outlet, but as we see time and time again with the Utah Jazz, you cannot have this defensive-minded anchor center as the second-best player in the playoffs.
Ayton is more athletic than Rudy Gobert but Gobert is the best defensive big in the game and he gets exposed every single playoffs. Ayton has the luxury of having two elite guards as well as one of the best defensive players in the league in Mikal Bridges to take some pressure off. In LA, that would not be the case.
Ayton is not the guy you want to build around post-LeBron as well. Again, he is a solid center, but he is not a franchise player for a title-contending team. While AD does get hurt, he is someone who absolutely can be the best player on a title-winning team. Heck, he was arguably the best player in 2020.
Crowder and LeBron are not fans of each other so that would never happen and the draft picks might seem enticing but a team with Devin Booker, Anthony Davis and Chris Paul (for another two years) is not going to be in the lottery.