It is well known in the entire league that the Los Angeles Lakers will aggressively chase their second superstar next summer. Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka purposely filled their roster with one-year contracts to maintain their salary cap flexibility for the summer of 2019. The 2019 NBA free agency will be loaded with several NBA superstars, like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, DeMarcus Cousins, and DeAndre Jordan.
Pairing one of those superstars with LeBron James will strengthen the Lakers’ chance of competing for the NBA championship. However, aside from becoming big players in the 2019 NBA free agency, the Lakers are also open in the possibility of engaging in a blockbuster trade to bring another superstar to Los Angeles. One of their top trade targets is Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans.
According to Brandon Robinson of Scoop B , the Lakers are “going all out” to acquire Anthony Davis next summer. Robinson added that the Lakers may attempt to trade for Davis before the February NBA trade deadline.
“Source believes that the Lakers are going all out in pursuit of AD via a trade next summer. Source says that in talking with at least two people in the know in LA, that they could attempt to propose a trade as early as this year.”
Can you envision DeMarcus Cousins back in a Pelicans uniform next season? Pelicans star Anthony Davis told @espn @TheUndefeated he could. https://t.co/hRvxWV7R7C
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) November 1, 2018
It’s no surprise why the Lakers want Anthony Davis on their team. His potential arrival in Los Angeles will put the Lakers in a strong position to challenge the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors in a best-of-seven series. Davis will not only give the Lakers a very reliable option on the offensive end of the floor, but he will also address their main weakness at the center position. In the five games he played this season, Davis is averaging 25.2 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 3.2 blocks, and 2.0 steals on 49.4 percent shooting from the field, and 45.5 percent from beyond the arc.
To at least get the Pelicans attention, the Lakers will need to offer at least two of their young players — Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart, and Lonzo Ball — and future draft picks. However, as much as the Lakers want to acquire Anthony Davis this year, the Pelicans are unlikely to make him available on the trading block any time soon. Expect more rumors to circulate around Davis and the Lakers before the February NBA trade deadline.
