The Los Angeles Lakers are seen as one of the main teams that is expected to be active at the upcoming trade deadline. Los Angeles is still in search of another NBA title and they believe that the duo of Anthony Davis and LeBron James can get the job done.
However, the play on the court may not reflect that same belief. While the Lakers have been decent at times to start the year, they may not have the look of a title-contending team.
The front office, led by general manager Rob Pelinka, will be tasked with figutring out how to put this team into a place of contention. It starts with the role players around the stars and Los Angeles needs to make this roster more well-rounded to contend.
The issue is that the Lakers don’t have a ton of assets to use and they could find themselves hitting a wall in terms of trade negotiations. If they can’t find a trade to improve this team, the front office could take drastic measures.
In a wild new trade proposal by Ishaan Bhattacharya of Fadeaway World, the Lakers decide enough is enough and move Davis. The trade involves the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles gets a massive haul in return for their star big man.
Here is what the proposed deal would look like:
Spurs receive: Forward Anthony Davis, guard D’Angelo Russell, center Christian Wood, and guard Jalen Hood-Schifino
Lakers receive: Guard Devin Vassell, center Zach Collins, guard Keldon Johnson, forward Malaki Branham, a 2025 First-Round Pick, a 2026 First-Round Pick, a 2027 First-Round Pick, and a 2029 First-Round Pick
This would be quite the deal for the Lakers as it would set them up well down the line. The draft picks alone would replenish Los Angeles and help them potentially make a big splash for another star player going forward.
Vassell, Johnson, and Branham could provide the Lakers with some strong depth moving forward. Each has seen a rise in their production over the years and Los Angeles could use their talents to help build out the next era of the organization.
If the Lakers were to make this type of trade, it would be them waving the white flag on the James and Davis duo. Los Angeles may look to trade James as well, essentially starting everything over from the start.
This trade seems very unlikley to happen but weirder things have happened in the NBA.
