Some Los Angeles Lakers executives don’t view superstar big man Anthony Davis as a franchise player and wouldn’t rule out trading him for another superstar.
This is what Heavy.com reports, adding that the presence of LeBron James ensures that Anthony Davis will remain with the Lakers for the time being.
“A lot of that depends on where LeBron winds up. If he stays in Los Angeles and he stays a Laker, he had a lot personally invested in AD being there so, yes, in that case, Davis stays. But it is not a sure thing.
There are some in that organization who would not mind seeing what they can bring back for AD, but they would not do it with LeBron there. You get to 2024, though, and maybe things change.
The Lakers have AD for two more years for sure, and they can only hope he stays healthy. But after that, they have to think, is this guy really our future?
He can’t stay on the floor. And he has to think, do I want to be here without LeBron? That’s why the Lakers do not want to give up those future picks,” an anonymous Western Conference executive told Heavy.
Anthony Davis has been injury prone and has missed several games especially over the past couple of years. Last season, he appeared in just 40 games, with the team missing the NBA playoffs.
Despite averaging 23.2 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals last season, Anthony Davis hasn’t shown he is a player the Lakers can rely on heavily moving forward.
At the moment, the Lakers are focused on re-signing LeBron James and trading Russell Westbrook. When it comes to the former, he is expected to sign a two-year deal (1+1), while Westbrook will remain with the team if he doesn’t get traded by late September.
