The Los Angeles Lakers have had an underwhelming regular season, which they could salvage by making it out of the play-in tournament alive and embarking on a deep playoff run.
But if the Lakers fail in the postseason miserably, they might have to make some tough calls, perhaps like testing the trade market for Anthony Davis.
There are reportedly some people within the organization who want to overhaul the roster and start over.
On the other hand, a Western Conference executive stated that the folks within the Lakes who may be in favor of trading Davis aren’t at the top of the franchise’s food chain.
“Around the league, there are suggestions that the Lakers should consider major changes — ‘drastic’ moves that include not only jettisoning LeBron James but also include looking into the trade market for Davis over the summer,” wrote Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports. “That won’t be easy, though.
“For one thing, league execs point out, trading Davis is not easy. He has a record $177 million extension that kicks in for 2025-26. For another thing, while some within the Lakers might be in favor of a Davis trade, as one West executive said, ‘They’re not at the top of the food chain.'”
The Lakers gave up a lot to acquire Davis in the 2019 offseason. They gave up Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart in the deal, along with numerous draft picks.
The final pick in that package is an unprotected 2024 first-round selection, which the New Orleans Pelicans could defer to 2025. Interestingly, the Pelicans reportedly plan to cash in on that privilege and give the Lakers the 2024 first-rounder, presumably because this year’s draft class is expected to be subpar.
Acquiring Davis paid dividends for Los Angeles, as the team clinched the 2020 title.
However, the Lakers have yet to replicate their successful 2019-20 campaign, losing in the first round of 2021 playoffs before missing the following year’s playoffs. Last season, they made a Cinderella run to the Western Conference Finals but got swept there by the Denver Nuggets.
While the Lakers seemingly had high hopes entering the 2023-24 campaign, they have stumbled a bit at times.
Things were looking up for the squad early in the season after James and Davis helped it win the inaugural In-Season Tournament. Unfortunately, Los Angeles couldn’t sustain its winning ways, falling from as high as fourth place in the West in December to as low as 11th later in the regular season.
It’s worth noting that the team has been playing better lately. The Lakers likely won’t go down without a fight in the postseason. But if they drop out earlier than expected, they may have huge decisions to make in the coming offseason.
