Lakers News: NBA Writer Proposes Deal To Trade Anthony Davis To Western Conference Rival

Could moving from from The Brow help 'Bron?

Joseph Casciaro of theScore pitches a deal that would ship out Davis in exchange for ascendant Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton, the Suns' first-rounders in 2025 and 2027, and the right to swap picks in 2026.

Casciaro writes that, even with Davis healthy and playing like an MVP, the Lakers were on the outside of the West's play-in tournament picture looking in, thanks in large part to LA team vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka's poor roster construction around Davis and his fellow All-Star and future Hall of Famer LeBron James, still stunningly great (on offense) at age 38. 

Cascario notes that the LBJ/AD pairing has seen mixed success over the past two seasons. The club won the minutes in which both Davis and James played together by 2.1 points per 100 possessions, though the club sports a middling 8-11 record across the 19 games played by both stars this season. In 2021-22, the Lakers lost its dynamic duo's tandem minutes.

The oft-injured Davis will be a free agent in 2024, and though when healthy he has been playing better than Ayton this season, he's rarely healthy, while Ayton remains one of the league's more durable centers, a high-level, hyper-athletic rim-roller with a solid mid-range game who could be a terrific fit alongside James. The deal would also help replenish many of the Lakers' depleted draft assets.

Ayton, signed to a maximum deal through 2025-26, is averaging 17.5 points on .605/.368/.731 shooting splits, 9.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 0.8 blocks a night, almost in spite of his icy relationship with Phoenix head coach Monty Williams.

On the Suns side of the equation, the team has fallen on hard times this season, thanks to major long-term injuries to starters Chris Paul, Devin Booker, and Cameron Johnson, plus the extended absence of reserve power forward Jae Crowder. Phoenix has lost three straight contests to fall to the eighth seed in the West, its 20-18 record tying it with the ninth-seeded Golden State Warriors.