Alex Kirschenbaum from Sports Illustrated suggested a wild trade scenario that would blow up the Lakers’ roster.
This is a wild trade scenario that would likely never happen. If I was to be generous, maybe there’s a 0.0001% chance of this deal happening, but it’s fascinating to look at how these teams would be affected by such a trade. As a result, let’s analyze this deal to its fullest.
The New Orleans Pelicans are one of the best teams in the West this season with one major flaw. They have a competent roster but don’t have any good big men on the team, something which could end up being a major problem for the franchise as it hopes to compete. Zion Williamson isn’t tall enough to be a small-ball center while Daniel Theis or rookie Yves Missi won’t be highly productive in that role against the cream of the West.
The Los Angeles Lakers are bringing a nearly unchanged roster from last season into 2024-25. The team lacked the assets to make any real step forwards with their roster this offseason but they continue placing championship expectations on the roster due to the presence of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Given their ages and the average success the Lakers have had over the last few years, a potential superstar trade could set them back on the right path.
Trade Details
New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Brandon Ingram, Jordan Hawkins, Antonio Reeves, 2025 First-Round Pick (MIL), 2026 First-Round Pick (NOP), 2027 First-Round Pick (MIL), 2030 First-Round Pick (NOP)
This is a wholly unrealistic trade, but if it was to be real, the Lakers would get a solid return on investment into Davis from the price they paid in 2019. They got a title and had Davis for his prime years, while also receiving four first-round picks in exchange for the star center. Brandon Ingram was traded by the Lakers to the Pelicans in 2019, with this deal bringing both teams full circle.
The Pelicans Become Unstoppable
If Anthony Davis came back to the Pelicans at this point, the team would likely be championship favorites. They have the perfect setup with two talented guards like offseason acquisition Dejounte Murray and C.J. McCollum, both players proving to be ideal pick-and-roll ball-handlers for plays with Davis.
In addition, Ingram’s departure can be easily dealt with by promoting Herb Jones and Trey Murphy III to bigger roles on the squad, with both being phenomenal 3-and-D wing options to replace Ingram.
Davis averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.3 blocks last season, being the perfect two-way big man for the Pelicans with Zion Williamson being his frontcourt partner. The Pelicans won’t be as reliant on Davis for offensive production as the Lakers are either, as they already have three other players capable of averaging 20 points or more.
Davis would transform them defensively and be a terrific inside complement to the likes of Murray, Jones, and Murphy on the perimeter.
It’s fair to call the Pelicans bonafide title favorites in the West after a deal like this, as no teams will be able to compete against their starting five. If Jones starts as the small forward, the Pelicans will still have Jose Alvardo, Trey Murphy, Daniel Theis, and more veteran players to be high-impact bench contributors.
This deal wouldn’t even fully extinguish their Draft assets, leaving some room for additional reinforcements if the team needs them in the winter.
The Lakers Start Their Rebuild Before LeBron James Walks Away
The Lakers are happy sitting in the middle, somewhere between being competitive and being bad. They haven’t finished as a top-six seed in the East since 2019-20 and haven’t made the necessary roster moves to show they can be better than the 7th seed in the Conference.
The LeBron James and Anthony Davis era brought them one title, but the Lakers haven’t been able to find the consistent success a talented duo like that can bring to a franchise. With James in Year 22, the Lakers can consolidate this season and the next as tribute seasons for arguably the most legendary player of the last 25 years, if not of all time.
Ingram averaged 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists on the Pelicans and has proven in the past that he can be an effective contributor alongside LeBron or in place of him.
Jordan Hawkins is a very talented shooter and combo guard with a bright future in the NBA. He averaged 7.8 points and 2.2 rebounds in his rookie season but could benefit under the supposed youth development focus that new head coach JJ Redick will bring into the franchise, alongside rookie swingman Antonio Reeves as well.
The draft picks would completely revitalize the Lakers as a franchise, who are still paying the price for their initial Davis trade in 2019 and missteps after that like the Russell Westbrook trade. They’re not willing to use their remaining assets to commit to winning, so GM Rob Pelinka could see the value in acquiring major draft assets to prepare the franchise for the future.
An Unrealistic Scenario That Could Be Best For Both Teams
It can’t be stressed enough that a deal like this would likely never materialize given the importance of Davis to the Lakers and the past between the superstar big man and the Pelicans. But this deal really could be a league-changing trade that sets these two franchises on different paths entirely.
The Lakers signed Davis to a 3-year, $186 million contract last season, guaranteeing his presence on the franchise till 2028. That contract might become a poison pill for the Lakers as Davis gets older and the team doesn’t have a sustainable direction to future success in the post-LeBron era. They’re barely succeeding with LeBron, let alone what they intend on doing after he decides to retire.
Getting so many picks for Davis after his injury struggles would be a great result, and the Pelicans would happily pay that price as well. Davis has shown much-improved durability in the last two seasons, so if he’s healthy and playing, he’ll transform the Pelicans into championship contenders with all the pieces around him.
The Lakers will prepare for the late 2020s if they make a trade like this, sticking up Draft capital to bring a pipeline of new talent into the franchise that can put them in a similar spot to where they were in 2018 when they signed LeBron as a free agent.
It might irk James to not be competitive in his final few seasons in the NBA, but the lack of competitive pressure might allow him to enjoy his final few years while playing alongside his son.
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