3 blockbuster trade packages for the Lakers and Anthony Davis

2. Trading Anthony Davis for Donovan Mitchell

It is obvious the Lakers and Jazz are two teams who need to blow up their rosters and start over. We have watched as the Jazz has failed to build a team around Mitchell insisting that Rudy Gobert is a relevant player in the playoffs. Instead, the team was once again quickly bounced by Dallas and is headed into an offseason full of questions.

If the team is truly starting over Mitchell decides to demand his way out of Utah is there a better player they will be offered than Anthony Davis? For this trade to work the Lakers take on Rudy Gay as well considering Davis would push the Jazz too far over the cap.

For the Lakers the fit and reasoning behind this deal are obvious. It is a move the Laker front office should make without hesitation if given the chance. For the Jazz, however, this is a move they will only make if they believe they can win now with Anthony Davis or if Mitchell forces his way out.

The Lakers lack the cap space or draft picks to go after Mitchell if the Jazz isn’t interested in Davis. Much like the trade with the Blazers this deal only works if the Jazz are willing to do the rare star-for-star trade and not begin the rebuild it appears the team needs. Though one could argue that trading Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell and building a team around Davis would get the team at the very least the same results.

Mitchell for Davis is a long shot but the Lakers should monitor the market this offseason considering Utah’s inability to find playoff success and the likelihood the team will make blockbuster moves this offseason.