After a disappointing 2018-2019 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers will be looking to rebuild their team this summer with the goal of constructing a contender around LeBron James. With cap space to spend and plenty of trade assets, general manager Rob Pelinka will have a number of options to set things right.
One such option would be to revisit trade talks for Anthony Davis, who infamously informed the New Orleans Pelicans that he wanted to be traded to the Lakers shortly before the trade deadline. The Pelicans — angered by Davis’ demands — opted to not make what became a much-publicized deal involving Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, and Ivica Zubac.
With essentially the entire young core being mentioned in trade rumors, the team’s chemistry understandably suffered as the season slipped away.
On this episode of the Lakers Nation News Feed, host Trevor Lane and guest Ron Gutterman break down the latest on Davis’ situation after he met with new executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin. While Griffin would like to keep Davis by offering the opportunity to play with Zion Williamson — who the Pelicans will select after winning the 2019 NBA Draft lottery — it appears that Davis is still determined to find a way out.
With that being the case, should the Lakers once again be willing to offer up the kitchen sink in order to pair Davis with James? During a recent appearance on Fox Sports, De’Aaron Fox explained why he felt the Lakers would be getting the short end of such a deal, so we take a look at the validity of his argument.
While the Davis situation is ever-evolving, it still appears likely that he gets traded sooner rather than later.