The Los Angeles Lakers likely see Anthony Davis as one of their franchise cornerstones for the foreseeable future.
However, with the team failing to secure an outright playoff berth this season, some around the league may be wondering if the Lakers should consider moving Davis after the 2023-24 campaign. Some people within the organization even reportedly want the team to wipe the slate clean and start over.
An anonymous general manager mentioned the New York Knicks as an ideal trade partner for the Lakers in a potential Davis deal.
“When you look at it, if you’re serious about trading Davis at some point then you need to accomplish a few things,” the GM told Heavy Sports. “You have to get him somewhere he wants to be. He wants to be a Laker. So if you trade him, you have to do right by him, send him to a good team in a good market, you don’t want to burn any bridges with (Klutch Sports, Davis’s representatives). You need a team willing to take on his money. Because it’s a lot. And you need a team who can load you up with draft picks.
“There’s really one team that fits all of those, and that’s the Knicks. It would not be hard to make a deal work there. You can line up the salaries. You can package a ton of picks. You can throw in a young player. You can take on a salary the Lakers might not want. I mean, he is one player and you can get a huge haul here.”
The Knicks certainly have an environment that could entice some stars to come. Not only do they play in a huge market, but they also have a promising roster led by Jalen Brunson.
The All-Star is about to finish the best regular season of his NBA career, as he’s averaging 28.6 points and 6.7 assists per game. He is also among the candidates for a spot on an All-NBA team. His stellar production and leadership have helped New York compete for one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference.
Davis could be the missing puzzle piece for the Knicks. While the franchise has registered one of the stingiest defenses in the league this season, it could still use some help when it comes to scoring, defensive rebounding and blocks.
On the other hand, unless the Lakers decide to rebuild or retool their roster, they might not find a package from New York that would be commensurate to the value the nine-time All-Star brings to the organization.
Los Angeles securing a play-in spot and a chance at booking a second straight playoff trip probably wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for Davis’ praiseworthy play this season.
He has shed the injury-prone label people have often tagged him with, suiting up in more than 87 percent of the Lakers’ games for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign. In addition, Davis has averages of 24.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest this season.
The team is probably not looking ahead to the offseason just yet, as it still has a chance to make some noise in the postseason. The Lakers currently hold the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference and will finish the regular season by visiting the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.
