50 games into the 2018-19 NBA season, agent Rich Paul informed the New Orleans Pelicans Anthony Davis will not sign a contract extension and asked for a trade.
Along with having the same agent as James, the 34-year-old made controversial comments about wanting to play with Davis and the two eventually met for dinner following a game.
As the Los Angeles Lakers have been looking for a second All-Star player via trade or 2019 free agency, the timing of Davis’ trade request presents a good opportunity.
In order to trade for Davis, the Lakers will reportedly have to at least include Lonzo Ball which would be a change in the team’s approach, according to Tania Ganguli of Los Angeles Times:
In recent weeks, the Lakers have been adamant internally that they won't trade Lonzo Ball. It's unclear if that has changed now that Anthony Davis is potentially on the table.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) January 28, 2019
Ball, who started to come into his own without James, suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain against the Houston Rockets that requires a 4-6 week recovery.
While it would be difficult to part with the young core after rebuilding through the NBA Draft the previous five seasons, Davis is the perfect fit for president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka’s vision. At just 25-years-old, the Lakers would be able to truly compete for the next 7-10 seasons.
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