Lakers: Expert Thinks LA Will Make A Trade -- If Anthony Davis Recovers Soon
The Los Angeles Lakers are in the midst of a five-game winning streak. So, of course, the main focus on everyone's mind is when will the Lakers make a trade to find LeBron James and Anthony Davis better complementary pieces.
It's fair, and it might be necessary. Yes, the Lakers are tied for the 10th seed in the West and are only 1.5 games back from the 6th seed in the West, but the team currently constructed may not be enough for LeBron and company to guide him to the promised land.
L.A. lacks a ton of size in the wing positions and is ranked 23rd in three-point field goal percentage. If the Lakers want any chance at sniffing a playoff run, they must complete a trade; the only question is, will they?
Well, that all depends on when Anthony Davis returns from injury, according to Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus. Pincus believes the sooner A.D. returns, the sooner we could see L.A. make a trade. To that end, we got some positive news earlier this week suggesting Davis could return near the end of the month.
"Should the Lakers get good news while breathlessly monitoring each minute step of Anthony Davis' recovery from a foot injury, the team may still look to swap out Russell Westbrook for better-fitting players around LeBron James. With players like Jakob Poeltl, Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson available, Westbrook's $47.1 million salary would go a long way toward helping San Antonio increase its payroll (though it will only get credit for the number of days each player is on their roster—not the 3-4 months he earned in Los Angeles). Per an NBA source, any Westbrook deal for the Lakers, league-wide, starts with a first-round pick. If the Lakers also wanted to add a valued player from the Spurs like Poeltl, the cost would be a second first "and then some," per an Eastern Conference executive."
The real question is, are the Lakers willing to give up one of their two first-round picks to complete a trade? Multiple reports have said that the Lakers' front office is unwilling to give up their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to improve the squad.
The names of Jakob Poeltl, Doug McDermott, and Josh Richardson may not be sexy or appealing, but they are the types of players the Lakers need on their roster. Jakob is a solid big man who grabs boards, Richardson is a good guard who can create his own shot, and McDermott is a shooter, someone, the Lakers, do not have.
There are many other options that the Lakers can look at if they plan to trade, but Pincus believes the contract of Russell Westbrook will help the San Antonio payroll.
The clock is ticking on LeBron and Davis' championship window; the front office cannot waste it, or they'll regret it for quite a long time.
