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If they were desperate and willing to overpay, that makes some sense. Just as important: this is a Lakers franchise that many thought might have to trade LeBron James if this summer didn’t go well.
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That price tag looks daunting in the next decade, but this is a version of the KG Nets trade that should end with a genuine title contender, not to mention a superstar big man who’s 11 years younger than Garnett was when he and Pierce were traded to Brooklyn. 4 this year), two future firsts, swap rights in the 2020s, two former No.2 picks, and a capable rotation guard like Josh Hart. No one is laughing at what's possible from here, and that immediate shift in identity is why the Lakers likely feel zero regrets about giving up a top-five pick (No. On the way into the NBA lottery the Lakers had been a joke for several months and were the near-unanimous choice for most dysfunctional organization in the league.
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It's mind-blowing to remember how quickly the NBA can shift.
#RUDY GAY CHOKES ANTHONY DAVIS FREE#
His presence alone will make the Lakers title contenders next year, and with cap space to add another star in free agency, there’s a strong possibility that the Lakers will enter next year as the clear-cut favorites. At 26 years old, in the middle of his prime, he's either 1A or 1B among the most talented teammates LeBron's ever had. That speaks to both the desperation they were bringing to the table this summer and the talent of the player they just acquired. It feels misleading to call them a winner alongside everyone else in this category, because no one here wins quite as big or immediately as LeBron James, Jeanie Buss, Rob Pelinka, and everyone else associated with the Lakers. Now, the question is, who was the winner of that trade? Who was the loser? That's what I'm going to tell y'all right now. Along the way there was also a public trade demand from Davis, a LeBron groin injury, a hilarious mess in the Lakers locker room, like 900 arguments about Rich Paul, a Dell Demps firing, a Looney Tunes t-shirt, the Lakers missing the playoffs, Magic Johnson abruptly resigning on the final day of the regular season, David Griffin assuming control in New Orleans, massive wins for both sides on lottery night, escalating trade rumors that threatened to interrupt the NBA Finals and finally, a trade. Yahoo!'s Chris Haynes reported that LeBron and Davis met postgame and discussed the future over dinner. That Friday night, the Lakers beat the Pelicans 112-104 in Los Angeles. If we're 15-17, that means I'm not doing my job." Obviously, it's cool to hear any high-caliber player say they want to play with me. saga-the ensuing 72 hours were spent pondering the possibilities, debating the particulars of a trade package and arguing about the ethics of tampering among players.ĭavis, for his part, told ESPN's Zach Lowe one night later, "I don't really care. That would be incredible." Nothing LeBron says to a reporter is ever a coincidence, and of course, it just so happened that the Pelicans would be playing in Los Angeles later that week. LeBron James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin, "That would be amazing. Back in late December, the Lakers were playing the Brooklyn Nets at the end of a four-game road trip, and before the game, the topic of Anthony Davis on the Lakers was broached in the L.A.