After months of speculation, the Los Angeles Lakers were finally able to pull off a trade for Anthony Davis. In exchange, they are sending Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart to the New Orleans Pelicans in addition to the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and two future first round picks and a future pick swap. It’s quite a haul for the Pelicans but the Lakers got the second All-Star player that they have been chasing for months.
On this episode of the Lakers Nation Podcast, host Trevor Lane is joined by Yahoo Sports salary cap expert Keith Smith to break down what this deal means to Los Angeles. Clearly, it’s a big day for the purple and gold, but their work is far from over.
Aside from James and Davis, the Lakers have just three other players under contract: Kyle Kuzma, Moritz Wagner, and Isaac Bonga.
Where do they go from here to build a complete roster? And can they still chase max-level All-Star players like Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Jimmy Butler, and others?
While landing a second All-Star player was certainly critical, general manager Rob Pelinka’s skill in bringing in the right pieces to round out the roster will be nearly as important. The Lakers saw last season how detrimental it can be to a team when the players don’t fit well together.
Plus, what does the deal mean for the teams that didn’t land Davis like the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks? And will Ingram, Ball, and Hart take the next step forward in their careers in New Orleans? All that and more in this packed show.
