5 Unpopular trades the Lakers should explore this summer
By Tyler Watts
3. Gauge the market on Anthony Davis
LeBron and AD brought the Lakers a championship inside the bubble in 2020. The banner will hang forever and should not be disparaged, but there have been four years of evidence since to suggest they are not close to title contention. The Lakers are 118-118 over the last three seasons. They were seventh in the West last year before making a surprise run to the conference finals. This season, they will likely be in the nine versus ten game in the Play-In Tournament.
The evidence is there, but nobody wants to bet against arguably the greatest player in NBA history. LeBron James has lifted his team to the NBA Finals ten times and has four championships. He wants ring number five but may need a new co-star to get it.
Anthony Davis has been healthy and outstanding this season. He made his first All-Star appearance since 2021 and is averaging 24.4 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2.4 blocks in 35.5 minutes per game. His 3-point shooting has never blossomed, but there is a ton to like about AD’s play.
His value is back up and now would be the time for the Los Angeles Lakers to gauge his trade market. Is some franchise willing to give up a massive haul, despite his injury history? To trade him, the Lakers would need a large enough package to acquire another star. It may not be on the table, but the franchise never knows until it tries.