One NBA insider recently indicated that people around the NBA believe the Los Angeles Lakers should trade both LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst passed on the information during an episode of his podcast.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2bE9On0gxucWLw1bXDR1kl?si=2b947fb467804be4
“People in the league who have a lot of experience say they should trade ’em,” Windhorst said of James and Davis. “Trade ’em both.”
The Lakers continue to struggle this season after being regarded by many as championship contenders prior to the start of the 2021-22 campaign.
After an embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night, the Lakers currently have a 27-33 record and are simply trying to qualify for the postseason.
The addition of veteran guard Russell Westbrook during the offseason was one of the chief reasons for fans’ championship expectations for the Lakers. Instead, chemistry issues have plagued L.A. all season long.
In addition to that problem, the Lakers have dealt with plenty of injuries. The team is currently without Davis, who is expected to remain out for a pretty substantial period of time.
Last season, the Lakers’ effort to defend their 2020 NBA title fell apart due to injury issues as well.
James is continuing to put up consistent numbers, though how much longer he’ll be able to do that remains to be seen. He turned 37 this past December and surely is nearing the end of his career.
Davis is only 28, and he’s a dominant player when healthy. The fact that the Lakers parted with multiple key assets to acquire Davis in 2019 may make them less likely to deal him away.
For now, the Lakers need to focus on simply winning games. Whether or not they think about trading James and Davis is a question best left for the offseason.
