The Los Angeles Lakers have won the biggest prize of the 2018 NBA free agency when they signed LeBron James. However, they failed to acquire another superstar who can help him bring the purple and gold back to title contention in the upcoming 2018-19 NBA season. To strengthen their chance of challenging the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors for Western Conference supremacy, the Lakers are expected to chase for another star before the February NBA trade deadline, or in the 2019 NBA free agency.
Unfortunately, several NBA superstars who are expected to be available on the free agency and trade market don’t look interested in teaming up with LeBron James. Players like Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard would rather play against James than be his teammate. However, according to Jason Reed of L.A. Sports Hub , there is one NBA superstar who might want to play alongside “King James”: Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans.
“The only reason we are assuming that Davis has some sort of desire is his sudden move to change agencies, with Klutch Sports Group being the front-runner to sign him, despite not being close to a contract year. Of course, there are more things to do than negotiate contracts but the timing of the switch is interesting. Plus, even if playing with LeBron isn’t the first thing on Davis’ radar, he would really have no say if the Lakers opted to trade for him. Davis would have to finish out his contract in LA, which should be good enough for at least two rings alongside James.”
As of now, there is no strong indication that the Pelicans are planning to trade Anthony Davis. After establishing themselves with an impressive performance in the Western Conference Playoffs 2018, the Pelicans are currently aiming to reach a higher level in the upcoming 2018-19 NBA season. However, things are expected to dramatically change in New Orleans if they suffer a huge disappointment.
According to a previous Inquisitr article, the Pelicans may consider moving Davis if they find themselves out of the playoff picture and get the “right offer.” With the plethora of trade assets they have, the Lakers are currently in a strong position to engage in a blockbuster trade deal with the Pelicans. A trade package including at least one of Brandon Ingram or Kyle Kuzma will surely be enough to convince the Pelicans to send Davis to Los Angeles.
The potential acquisition of Anthony Davis will definitely make the Lakers a legitimate title contender. Davis will immediately address the Lakers’ main weakness at the center position. His tandem with LeBron James will pose a huge threat to any powerhouse teams in the league, even to the star-studded Warriors.
