Entertaining NBA pundit Stephen A. Smith seems to have plenty of Los Angeles Lakers tea at the moment.
First off, Smith expressed a belief that the Lakers should consider trading all-time great LeBron James.
As if that statement was not enough to catch some attention itself, Smith has now made another splash by saying that star big man Anthony Davis currently has low perceived trade value in the NBA. He said as much during a recent television appearance on ESPN.
“I know for a fact by numerous executives I’ve spoken to, you can’t get but so much value for Anthony Davis because he’s perpetually injured and he’s not reliable healthwise,” Smith said.
There is no question that Davis has dealt with some troubling injuries recently. He played in just 40 games during the 2021-22 regular season and just 36 games in the previous regular season. It’s a horrible trend and one that simply cannot continue if the Lakers hope to rebound next season.
However, Davis, who is an eight-time All-Star, three-time block champion and one-time NBA champion, is undoubtedly still a valuable player when healthy. The 29-year-old must get his body right in the offseason and prove that he can stay healthy next season. If he can do that, he will surely once again be considered among the best big men in the NBA.
The Lakers have a lot of decisions to make this offseason, which is something that cannot be argued. One decision they will almost certainly not make, however, is to even consider trading away Davis or James. The duo is less than two years removed from winning an NBA title with relative ease.
If the Lakers can reload their roster and surround James and Davis with players that help make their jobs easier, the Lakers should be able to bounce back in a strong way in the 2022-23 campaign.
