Should Lakers' LeBron James, Anthony Davis Demand Trades Out of Town?

The All-NBA superstars are leading what looks to be a sinking ship.

Nov 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and center Anthony Davis (3) against the Phoenix Suns during an NBA Cup game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

All-NBA Los Angeles Lakers superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are leading what looks to be a sinking ship.

Following an encouraging 10-4 start to their 2024-25 NBA season under new head coach J.J. Redick, the Lakers have regressed mightily of late. The team has gone 3-7 across its last 10 bouts, tumbling to a 13-11 record and the crowded Western Conference's No. 8 seed.

While the oft-injured James and Davis have been relatively healthy so far, the tide seems to be turning on that, too. James seems likely to miss his second consecutive bout, a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Should he sit out the clash between mediocre West clubs, he'll effectively have gotten an eight-day break to recuperate from his sore foot — provided he returns on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies, at least.

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Davis is dealing with plantar fasciitis but has generally played through it.

Should either player miss extended time, it could sink the Lakers below play-in status.

Perhaps it's time for both James and Davis to pull the rip cord and move on, opines Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times.

“Dear LeBron, … ask out,” Plaschke implores the 20-time All-Star in a new column. “Dear A.D., … follow him."

“This is my Christmas wish for a Lakers franchise that has lost the town to the [Los Angeles] Dodgers, lost the season because of a lousy roster, and just lost by 41 points to Pat Riley," Plaschke adds, referencing the Lakers' 134-93 defeat against the Miami Heat last week.

“After a quarter of the season, the Lakers are no better than a bottom seed in the Western Conference, surely headed for a third consecutive appearance in the play-in tournament, seemingly destined for a second consecutive first-round knockout," Plaschke laments.

L.A. has been a lower-rung play-in seed in each of the last two seasons under former head coach Darvin Ham. In 2023, the 43-win team made a surprise run to the Western Conference Finals as a No. 7 seed, ultimately falling to the then-eventual champion Denver Nuggets in a sweep. In 2024, the 47-35 Los Angeles secured the No. 7 seed again by beating the New Orleans Pelicans in a play-in encounter. The Lakers unfortunately met the Nuggets again, falling in five games during a first round playoff series.

“It’s over. Already," a pessimistic Plaschke posits. "There is no hope. Again. With no first-round draft pick and suffocating salaries, they might not be any better next year. Really.”

The pricey James, 39, has since been linked to the veteran-laden, Golden State Warriors as a potential trade target. Davis, 31, would presumably draw interest from all kinds of competitors as a solid-if-slow two-way big man. If one or both stars did decide to demand a trade, the Lakers would need to extract maximal draft equity in any deal, as the team's assets are fairly threadbare.

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