Former Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder big man Kendrick Perkins said that the Los Angeles Lakers will acquire another superstar this summer.
“Another superstar is on the way this summer. Now, I can’t reveal who that superstar is… they trust me not to air this information out on who this player is going to be.
Match made in heaven for Anthony Davis.”
– @KendrickPerkins on @PatMcAfeeShow pic.twitter.com/ZdBXIZCkdW
— The Laker Files (@LakerFiles) February 15, 2024
Lakers star LeBron James reportedly wanted the team to trade for one of Zach LaVine or Dejounte Murray before the trade deadline, but the former is still a member of the Chicago Bulls and the latter is still playing for the Atlanta Hawks.
There is speculation that the superstar Perkins is referring to is Murray’s backcourt mate in Trae Young.
The Lakers’ No. 1 trade target this summer will likely be Trae Young.
Los Angeles wants to push for a championship now, and solidify a Trae-AD duo for the post-LeBron future.
(via @jovanbuha) pic.twitter.com/P8AXtPlyhw
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 15, 2024
Los Angeles already has a pair of superstars on its roster in James and Anthony Davis. Davis is averaging 24.9 points, 12.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 55.3 percent from the field and 81.0 percent from the free-throw line across 52 games played with the Lakers so far during the 2023-24 regular season, his fifth season in Los Angeles.
The 30-year-old is fresh off a dominant performance both from a scoring and rebounding standpoint in the Lakers’ win over the Utah Jazz on Feb. 14, the team’s final game before the All-Star break. He scored 37 points on 13-of-25 shooting from the floor and 1-of-3 from 3-point range to go along with 15 rebounds and two blocks.
Unlike Davis, James is in the twilight of his NBA career. At 39 years old, he is the oldest player in the NBA at the moment, but his numbers so far in his 21st season in the pros indicate that he remains an elite player at the forward position. He is averaging 24.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game this season on 52.0 percent shooting from the field.
Also, James has been relatively durable despite being long in the tooth and having a lot of mileage on him. The forward has missed just seven games for the Lakers so far during the 2023-24 regular season and is averaging 34.9 minutes of playing time per game.
Lakers fans should be excited about Perkins’ report that another superstar will join forces with two of the better players in the league in the offseason. Considering James’ age, the Lakers might need an additional superstar in order to compete for a championship next season.
