It’s no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers season has gotten off to a poor start as they currently sit at 2-9 with no immediate signs of turning it around.
Many have been waiting for the Lakers to make a trade involving Russell Westbrook and their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in order to make the roster upgrades they need. Reports have indicated that Rob Pelinka is planning on waiting until after Thanksgiving and then assessing the team’s needs from there.
If the Lakers’ record continues to trend down though then it’s fair to question if making a trade and giving away your only valuable assets is even worth it when the season is basically already lost. If L.A. goes that route then they may even become sellers.
A recent report indicated that the Lakers could look to shop Anthony Davis, who is really their only trade piece that can bring back worthwhile assets. Given Davis’ commitment to the organization and the Lakers’ relationship with LeBron James and Klutch Sports, that report came as a surprise even despite how poorly the team has played with Davis in the lineup this season.
With that being the case, it’s not surprising to see Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report now reporting that the Lakers are not considering a Davis trade at this time:
And while it’s been a talking point on social media, the Lakers are not considering trading Davis, according to sources. For any dialogue of that nature to occur, his agent and Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, would have received calls from interested teams inquiring if Davis would agree to an extension if they traded for him. Those conversations have not taken place, sources say.
It seems that a trade and decision of that magnitude would be hard for the Lakers to make in-season. But if the team misses the playoffs again for a second straight year then that may be a conversation to have in the summer.
Davis was incredible in his first season with the Lakers, leading the organization to its 17th championship alongside James. Since then though he has dealt with a multitude of injuries while also seeing his play decline a bit, so it is fair to question if he is still in the Lakers’ plans long-term as a cornerstone piece to build around.
James pushing for Lakers to make moves
For now though, the Lakers are focused on winning more games so they can be buyers ahead of the trade deadline. James and Davis are reportedly pushing for the organization to make moves to avoid another lost season, but until this team starts winning games, it is hard to justify giving up the 2027 and 2029 picks for only slight roster upgrades.
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