Multiple signs are already pointing to All-Star center Anthony Davis signing a new contract with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2020 free agency. However, if things don’t go as expected in the Orlando bubble, there is a strong possibility for “The Brow” to reconsider his decision to stay long-term in Los Angeles. If Davis decides to entertain other offers this fall, several teams who are in dire need of additional star power — including the Brooklyn Nets — would likely do everything they can to steal him from the Purple and Gold.
The Nets may currently be buried deep in luxury tax hell, but they could find a way to bring Davis to Brooklyn this fall. According to Preston Ellis of Bleacher Report , the Nets could acquire Davis by engaging in a sign-and-trade deal with the Lakers in the 2020 free agency. In the proposed trade scenario, they would be sending a trade package that includes Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Jarrett Allen to Los Angeles in exchange for Davis.
“The Brooklyn Nets don’t have the space to make a free-agency deal, but they have plenty to unload in a trade. A package built around Caris LeVert, Spencer Dinwiddie and Jarrett Allen should be enough to get the Lakers to sign on the dotted line, seeing as they could potentially lose him to New York or Atlanta for nothing. Even the Miami Heat could make a move for AD by moving Andre Iguodala. If Davis does appear set on leaving, the Lakers would be hard-pressed to find a better outcome.”
Trading all those players would definitely be worth it for the Nets if they could acquire a player of Davis’s caliber. The potential arrival of Davis would tremendously improve their performance on both ends of the floor, giving them a very reliable scoring option, rebounder, facilitator, floor-spacer, and defender. This season, the 27-year-old big man is averaging 26.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.4 steals while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN .
Pairing Davis with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would enable the Nets to create their own “Big Three” that would make them the No. 1 favorite to fully dominate the Eastern Conference and win the NBA championship title in the 2020-21 season.
Meanwhile, the potential deal would make a lot of sense for the Lakers if they think that Davis is no longer interested in staying with the team. Instead of losing him without getting anything in return, the Lakers would be acquiring players that could help them remain competitive next season. Allen could fill the hole Davis left in the Lakers’ frontcourt, LeVert would boost their wing depth, while Dinwiddie would address their need for another shot creator and playmaker.
