The Los Angeles Lakers were recently dealt a serious blow when superstar big man Anthony Davis went down with a foot injury. Though Davis’ absence absolutely hurts the team’s chances of success on the court, it may actually end up helping the Lakers complete a deal in the trade market.
According to a recent report, Davis’ injury could actually end up giving the Lakers some much-needed leverage in trade discussions as the Feb. 9 trade deadline fast approaches.
“Another rival said that if negotiated properly, he felt the Davis injury could actually help the Lakers’ position in trade talks,” Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times wrote. “The team’s sought leverage in talks since the summer, with much of the league viewing them as ‘desperate’ to make some kind of trade.
“That, plus the early-season timing of any talks, has kept the asking price really high. This executive thought a Davis injury of any real severity would give the Lakers leverage they haven’t had since the summer by giving them a very real reason to shut down talks and focus on the offseason.”
The desperation that Woike refers to has to do with the fact that the Lakers are still in a win-now mode due to having Davis and fellow superstar LeBron James on the roster. The Lakers have a disappointing record of 13-18 on the season, but Davis and James are still considered one of the best duos in the league.
As the team is currently constructed, even the playoffs seem like a stretch. However, if the Lakers front office can make moves to add even moderate talent to the roster, the fortunes of the team could shift quickly.
Perhaps, teams will end up being more willing to deal with L.A. as the team appears to be less of the threat with Davis on the sideline.
As for Davis himself, a lot of uncertainty still surrounds the star and his current foot injury. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin offered a brief update on Davis’ situation.
“He’s not wearing a boot on the foot currently,” he said. “Right now, I’m told the team is continuing to seek second opinion, third opinion in order to figure out a course of action to get his foot right.”
At the moment, it is not just Davis’ situation that seems up in the air, but also the Lakers’ 2022-23 season in general. If specialists end up concluding that Davis will have to miss multiple months, the team could very well shut the season down early.
However, if the Lakers end up making a really impactful trade or two, and if Davis proves able to get back within the relatively near future, the final months of the current campaign could get really interesting for the Purple and Gold.
For Lakers fans, there isn’t much to do at the moment other than wait and see.
