LOS ANGELES, CA – When a season goes this poorly for a team that was expected to be a championship contender, naturally the focus is going to shift from ‘what happened?’ to ‘how do we get better?’ and probably ‘who do we trade?’
For the Los Angeles Lakers who are currently 27-34 and sit in the ninth place of the Western Conference, those questions have already been racing through the minds of fans and media alike.
While LeBron James was surrounded with most of those questions during the NBA All-Star weekend last month amidst some of his comments and alleged rumors about a future outside of L.A., the focus should actually shift to his fellow superstar in Anthony Davis.
The extremely talented All-Star forward who was dominant during the Lakers’ 2020 championship run in the Orlando bubble has been a shell of himself these past two seasons with one devastating injury after another.
While some of the injuries have been freak occurrences like the mid-foot sprain he suffered before the All-Star break, unfortunately, these injuries re-enforce the narrative that Davis is injury prone, soft, and lacks durability playing in 36 games last season and only 37 this season.
The more concerning narrative is how he has regressed since winning the 2020 championship. His offensive game isn’t as sharp shooting 26 percent from three-point range in 2021 and a pitiful 18 percent this season while his free throw shooting has dipped from 85 percent to the low 70’s in the past two years.
Not to mention, AD doesn’t always seem engaged on the court which has led to some poor performances and getting outclassed at times by some of the elite big men of the league (like Giannis Antetokounmpo). It also feels like other talented forwards (like Domantas Sabonis) have closed the talent gap on him. Davis hasn’t taken that next step of being a more assertive, vocal leader especially during the games that James is out.
Remember the Lakers mortgaged the farm to land Davis back in 2019 rescuing him from New Orleans and sending the Pelicans a haul of young talents and future first round picks. They not only did that to pair AD with LeBron to win championships but to have a franchise cornerstone to build around beyond the LeBron years.
Now that plan appears to have some hitches in it. Between the injuries, the lack of leadership, and regressing more than improving on the court, the idea of trading perhaps their best asset in AD and getting some young pieces and picks back seems like an idea that GM Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office could explore.
(Courtesy of NBA on ESPN)
Davis has two more guaranteed years on his contract with a player option for the 2025 season. His value has certainly taken a hit amidst all these injuries, so maybe the Lakers can’t maximize his value completely, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if they shopped him around this summer to gauge his value.
There is no doubt that when Davis is healthy and locked in, he’s a top-five talent in the league, one who creates matchup problems for the opponent, and can positively impact the game on both sides of the floor. However, the key phrase is when healthy, a tag line too often associated with AD, and as we all know, the best kind of ability is availability.
Are the Lakers willing to wait and trust that the 28-year-old can push through these injury issues and get healthy on the court while becoming a true leader? Or will that potential be out of reach for him?
Perhaps the Lakers don’t trade Davis. However, it’s an expensive proposition to stick with him and bet on a future that will always have concerns surrounding his durability while trusting he can be the next star to lead this iconic franchise.
Many questions surround AD and his future with the Lakers and time will tell if the team that gave up so much to get him still believe he’s that durable pillar.
