I think the NBA trade market is one of the hardest things to navigate, but all 30 teams are trying their best to make the right moves to benefit their franchise either in the short-term or the long-term. The Los Angeles Lakers to me appear as a team that’s stuck in the middle, unwilling to commit to going all-in with LeBron James and Anthony Davis while also wanting to contend with the pair and maintaining future assets to safeguard the team after their primes.
The OKC Thunder have a clear direction, ramping up to be the best team in the NBA with great depth on a young roster headlined by an MVP-caliber ball-handler like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This is a team that looks committed to winning now, but they could make their roster even stronger with their tank of future assets and players.
Given the Thunder’s ability to go all-in on virtually any top players in the NBA and the Lakers possessing a defensive menace like Anthony Davis who could make the Thunder a lock to be a Finals team, they could throw up a massive package that is centered around Chet Holmgren to help the Lakers get depth to compete now with LeBron while also solidifying the team’s future.
Trade Details
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: Anthony Davis
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, 2025 First-Round Pick (LAC/HOU), 2027 First-Round Pick (OKC), 2028 First-Round Pick (DAL)
This deal gives the Lakers an avenue to do whatever they want going forward, as they get a young core to continue competing alongside and after LeBron while also bolstering their Draft assets. What’s crazy is that the team would likely still say no to this offer and stick with Anthony Davis for a variety of reasons.
The Thunder Would Be The Best Team In The NBA
Humor my idea for a second and imagine a timeline where this trade was to happen and the Thunder replaced the upside of Chet Holmgren for the ready-made Defensive Player of the Year level play from Anthony Davis. This team would be absolutely unstoppable, having the necessary scoring and perimeter defense to enhance Davis’ abilities as a roaming big-man defender.
Davis reportedly wants to play with another big man, so inserting himself as the power forward next to Isaiah Hartenstein gives the Thunder a big body to do the gritty work while Davis is free to operate as a roaming defender who can affect offenses at every level of the court.
Davis averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 2,3 blocks last season, but the Lakers’ poor record never made him an effective candidate for DPOY.
Shai and Jalen Williams would continue being the primary offensive options with Davis providing an inside scoring threat that the Thunder can’t get with Hartenstein’s skill set or Holmgren’s frame. Davis doesn’t get bullied on the inside and has shown a noticeable improvement in durability over the last two seasons.
I genuinely think a starting lineup of Shai, Alex Caruso, Williams, Davis, and Hartenstein would be unbeatable in the modern NBA, as their skill sets almost perfectly complement each other. With players like Luguentz Dort still on the roster, the Thunder sacrifice depth to create one of the best teams in the NBA who would be shoo-in as contenders.
.The Lakers Ignore The Future Assets Route To Keep Anthony Davis
This is a very tempting offer for the Lakers, who reportedly hung up the phone at a mere attempt from the Golden State Warriors to trade for LeBron James. Even though LeBron is the name that he is, last year’s All-NBA teams proved that Anthony Davis is the more impactful player on the roster due to his two-way dominance, making it to the Second Team while James was on the Third Team.
The Lakers were unwilling to listen to offers for LeBron, but I think even a tempting offer like this mock one from the Thunder for Davis would result in a rejection. This is with the understanding that Holmgren averaged 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks as a rookie, proving he has the potential to develop into a similarly impactful player as Davis.
Holmgren isn’t as bruising as Davis due to his slender frame but has a higher offensive ceiling as a shooter and has already proven to be a similarly effective shot-blocker.
Isaiah Joe averaged 8.2 points on 41.6% from three last season, showing to the world that he’s the kind of shooter LeBron would love to have on his team. Aaron Wiggins averaged 6.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists, a do-it-all forward who can play multiple positions across the wing. These three players plus picks still wouldn’t be enough due to what Davis means to the franchise.
Davis is younger and the better player at the moment in my opinion, something that the Lakers are aware of given the recent increase in playing through Davis with James as a secondary option. They gave Davis one of the richest contract extensions in NBA history as well, clearly indicating that Davis is a piece they want on the roster even after LeBron retires.
I firmly believe that when NBA teams show that sort of long-term planning around a superstar player, it can’t be undone through arguments of asset management unless the player has a dramatic downturn in form.
Would The Lakers Regret Rejecting This Offer?
On paper, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would disagree with this offer being one the Lakers have to accept due to the long-term ramifications. It extends the Lakers’ contending window incredibly while still giving LeBron a roster that could compete among the top of the Western Conference. It adds to their depth and gets them draft picks, so it seems ludicrous to turn it down.
The Lakers might have had LeBron for the entire time Anthony Davis has been on the roster, but they’ve never treated him as a second priority behind LeBron. Even LeBron himself has tried promoting Davis to being the offensive leader of the team, a role he will embrace once James is gone.
Even though he’s 31 years old, Davis projects to have a lot more basketball left in him before he is considered past his prime. The Lakers have always valued their superstars and aren’t in the business of trading them away like this, so they definitely would hang up the phone and not think twice about it.
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