Richard Sherman says Lakers should discuss Anthony Davis-Giannis Antetokounmpo swap

Former Seattle Seahawks star cornerback Richard Sherman said that the Los Angeles Lakers should discuss swapping big man Anthony Davis for Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“What do the Lakers have that they can move?” Sherman began. “Anthony Davis just signed a contract. Their numbers probably match up just right, and it’s the kind of thing Rob Pelinka would do. You can’t do it till December because he just signed an extension, but is that something that could happen? Giannis and LeBron James? There’s potential there.”

Davis, 30, has played for two teams — the New Orleans Pelicans and Lakers — across his 11 seasons in the NBA. He averaged 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.0 blocks per game across 56 appearances with Los Angeles during the 2022-23 regular season (54 starts).

The 6-foot-10 big man carried over his excellent play from the 2022-23 regular season into the 2023 postseason. He was particularly dominant in the Western Conference Finals against Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets.

Davis averaged 26.8 points, 14.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for the series while shooting 49.3 percent from the field. His heroics weren’t enough for the Lakers to beat the Nuggets, though, as Denver swept Los Angeles in four games. The Nuggets then went on to beat the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals to win the 2023 NBA title.

Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo, 28, has played 10 seasons in the NBA, all as a member of the Bucks franchise. He averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in 63 games played during the 2022-23 regular season (all starts).

Those numbers were good enough for Antetokounmpo to earn an All-Star nod, the seventh of his pro career as well as a spot on the All-NBA First Team.

Milwaukee’s postseason run was short-lived, though. The Bucks lost to the Heat in five games in the first round of the playoffs.

Antetokounmpo missed two games of the Heat series with a back injury, but in the games he was healthy enough to play, he performed at a high level. He averaged 23.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game for the series and shot 52.8 percent from the field.

If the Bucks ever express interest in trading Antetokounmpo to the Lakers in exchange for Davis, Los Angeles would be wise to pounce on that opportunity. But it’s hard to believe that the Bucks would be interested in such a deal, considering Antetokounmpo is younger than Davis, less injury-prone and put up superior numbers during the 2022-23 season.