Lakers potentially open to trading Anthony Davis if this happens
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers have a lot to figure out before the 2022-23 season begins. If the front office does not change the current outlook of the roster then the team is going to suffer the same fate that it did last season.
If that happens then the Lakers might be looking ahead at days without LeBron James. LeBron is entering the final year of his contract and is yet to sign an extension with the team. LeBron very well could leave if the front office does not show him a commitment to building a contender.
Anthony Davis has long been touted as the team’s franchise player to build around after LeBron James leaves or retires. While Davis at his best is a top-10 player in the league, if LeBron leaves, the Lakers could end up cashing on that potential.
A Western Conference executive told Heavy.com that if LeBron does leave after this season there are people in the organization that would be open to seeing what Davis could bring back in a trade.
"“A lot of that depends on where LeBron winds up. If he stays in Los Angeles and he stays a Laker, he had a lot personally invested in AD being there so, yes, in that case, Davis stays. But it is not a sure thing. There are some in that organization who would not mind seeing what they can bring back for AD, but they would not do it with LeBron there. You get to 2024, though, and maybe things change.”"
It is interesting to hear that there are those in the organization that would be potentially open to trading Davis. Davis has an obvious connection to LeBron via Klutch Sports so the team may get out ahead of it and trade AD before he can demand a trade and ht his value.
The Lakers are justified to field offers on Anthony Davis if LeBron James leaves.
If LeBron James does bounce next summer then the Lakers should be taking calls about Davis. The team does not have to trade him for a bad package but it would be bad management to outright ignore the possibility of trading him.
Davis has his concerns as a franchise cornerstone. His injury history is a legitimate concern and big men typically don’t get less injury prone as they get into their 30s. If the Lakers think they can land another top-tier superstar to pair with AD then great, make it happen.
However, if the Lakers do not have that LeBron replacement then it would be better to trade AD. Los Angeles could keep AD and have the ceiling of being a first-round playoff exit, or they could potentially trade him and restart with assets for the future.
Obviously, this is not even a discussion if LeBron is still in town, which is exactly why the front office needs to prove that it wants to contend next season.