The Los Angeles Lakers have rocked the superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis on their roster for the last five years to mixed degrees of success. They’ve missed the Playoffs and also won a title together, but their time together might come to an end soon with talks of LeBron possibly retiring becoming more prominent.
The Athletic’s Jovan Buha spoke on his podcast about the Lakers’ ideal succession plan, with the franchise hoping to land a young franchise cornerstone after LeBron’s retirement. But LeBron’s retirement could lead to a Davis’ trade request which could send him to a contender and give the Lakers the assets they need to rebuild.
“I wouldn’t say it’s inconceivable that he asked out, but I think he’s been pretty happy in LA and I think he’s aware of LeBron’s plans. I also think if he wants out, I think the Lakers should just honor that because it’s like at that point, if LeBron retires maybe it is best to rebuild and just keep your picks, and then maybe at that point, they have kept their picks and just kind of punted on this season and next season. But I think if I had to lean one way, I’d probably lean toward AD staying, but I would not be surprised if he asked out.”
Prior to this, Buha made it clear that Davis has been happy on the Lakers and probably won’t ask out given how the front office values him and the fanbase embraces him.
“I do think AD has been happy in LA. You know, he obviously re-signed, he asked out of New Orleans to come to LA and he won a championship here. I think the fans right now, obviously are a bit upset, but in general, I think the fans have been pretty pro-AD and defending him against a lot of the other fan bases or media people or whatnot that have criticized him.”
“I think AD’s been happy and he’s a relatively low-maintenance guy, especially by superstar standards. So, I think he’s someone that as long as he ages well, the Lakers can continue to feature as their best or second-best player.”
Davis is averaging 26.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists as an MVP contender this season, although his stock in the race has taken a huge bit recently. He was a non-factor in the Lakers losses to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat, where Davis scored a combined 20 points on 7-28 (25.0 FG%) from the field.
He’s proven he’s capable of being a two-way No. 1 option on an elite team even after his injury struggles a few years ago, so teams around the NBA would be interested in landing a center of his caliber. Even if his offense regresses with age, it’s hard to see Davis’ defensive impact fall off in a major way in the coming seasons.
His on-court versatility and unique skill set will always make him a prized asset, and if the Lakers can’t field a competitive lineup the year after LeBron retires, trading Davis to a winning situation for a monster return to set the Lakers up for a competent rebuild might be the perfect situation.
The Lakers gave up assets worth an entire franchise to acquire Davis. He’s already made it a good trade with his role in the 2020 Championship, but netting a similar return after all these years could lead to this being one of the greatest acquisitions the Lakers ever made.
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