Lakers Rumors: Anthony Davis-LeBron James LA Tandem Could ‘Unseat’ Mighty Warriors, Per ‘Bleacher Report’
Since assuming front office roles, Los Angeles Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka have revealed their ambitious plan to make the Purple and Gold an attractive destination for superstars once again. This summer, Johnson and Pelinka fulfilled their promise when they succeeded to sign LeBron James in the recent free agency. However, both executives made it clear that they are not yet done in upgrading their roster.
With the emergence of numerous “Super Teams,” Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka are definitely aware that they need to surround the best basketball player on the planet with quality players in order to give the Lakers a strong chance of returning to the NBA Finals and adding another championship banner at Staples Center. Since the 2018 NBA offseason, several NBA superstars have already been linked to the Lakers, and one of their top trade targets is Anthony Davis of the New Orlean Pelicans.
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Anthony Davis is on the top of the list of superstars that the Lakers want to pair with LeBron James. Pincus believes that the tandem of James and Davis have the capability to “unseat” the reigning NBA champions, Golden State Warriors.
“The New Orleans Pelicans’ Davis stands atop the Lakers’ list, but he won’t hit free agency until 2020. The Pelicans would have to trade him to Los Angeles, which should be considered a significant stretch unless Davis says he won’t re-sign in New Orleans. Davis recently joined Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who represents James. A pairing in Los Angeles would give both players the opportunity to unseat the Golden State Warriors, and the 25-year-old Davis would eventually replace the older James (33) as the Lakers’ headliner.”
Happy Thanksgiving! Anthony Davis reportedly "stands atop" the Lakers’ list of free agent or trade targets. https://t.co/imEfOdrZRk pic.twitter.com/2uz0TVekxy
— Silver Screen and Roll (@LakersSBN) November 22, 2018
Pairing Anthony Davis with LeBron James will undeniably give the Lakers a real chance of challenging the star-studded Warriors for the Western Conference supremacy. The acquisition of Davis will tremendously improve the Lakers’ performance on both ends of the floor. This season, the 25-year-old center/power forward is averaging 26.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.9 blocks, and 1.6 steals on 48.1 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
As of now, the Pelicans haven’t shown any indication that they plan to move Anthony Davis before the February NBA trade deadline. However, if they decide to part ways with Davis, the Lakers are expected to be very aggressive on the trade market just to add him to their team. In exchange for their lone superstar, the Pelicans could demand a trade package that includes at least two of Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, and Lonzo Ball, together with multiple future draft picks.
