Stephen A. Smith says the Lakers have to trade Anthony Davis after this season

The Los Angeles Lakers have been reeling for a while now, and the trade deadline passed without the organization making a trade to improve its roster.

While the season is not yet completely lost, some people around the league are already suggesting that the Lakers look ahead to the offseason. For instance, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith recently stated that L.A. should make a significant roster change once this season ends.

When the Lakers acquired Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019, they were likely hoping that the All-Star big man would help LeBron James bring multiple titles to L.A.

In his first season with the Purple and Gold, Davis played a key role in the Lakers winning a championship. During the 2020 playoffs, he averaged 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He was also quite efficient from the floor, converting 57.1 percent of his shots from the field.

In a little less than three seasons with the Lakers, the 28-year-old has averaged 24.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest.

There are no doubts about the many ways he can impact the game on both ends of the floor. However, he has missed a significant number of games because of injuries, resulting in a lot of questions about his durability.

Last season, he suited up for only 36 of the Lakers’ 72 regular-season games. In this campaign, Davis has already missed 21 matches.

The Lakers are in danger of missing this year’s postseason. They are currently 26-31 in the standings and rank just ninth in the Western Conference.