Los Angeles Lakers star and newly minted NBA champion Anthony Davis has declined to pick up the final year on his contract and will enter free agency this week. The move was strictly a financial decision, and it puts the big man in position to get an even richer deal from his current team.
Despite not having officially committed to LA long-term yet, it is a foregone conclusion at this stage that Davis is remaining with the Lakers. As such, when the front office went out and secured a top-level point guard in Dennis Schroder a few days back, the first immediate thought many had was: what does Davis think of the move?
The 27-year-old answered that very question during an appearance on Chris Haynes’ Posted Up with C. Haynes show.
Free agent superstar @AntDavis23 joins @YahooSports’ “Posted Up with C. Haynes.” In Part 1, he breaks down Lakers’ acquisition of Dennis Schroder and clarifies his current standing.
“I don’t have a team, Chris.”
Part 1 🎥: https://t.co/G0GfIo8tYw pic.twitter.com/Lg08VdaocZ
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) November 17, 2020
“He’s a great pickup, with Schröder alongside LeBron, and the other guys they decide to acquire or whatever…I think it was a good pickup,” Davis said.
“Like you said, he could easily win sixth man of the year, any given year. He played great alongside C.P. (Chris Paul) and Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander). He’s tough, he shot the ball well this year, he can get in the paint, he can find guys, and he’s very, very scrappy,” he continued.
The perks of being a Laker. https://t.co/yt6hWFrxXi
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 17, 2020
“I think it was a good move, a good pickup for the Los Angeles Lakers.”
Last year, Schroder averaged 18.9 points on 46.9 percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. He was also a legitimate threat from beyond the arc, where he knocked down nearly two threes per game.
Between the presumed loss of Rajon Rondo and the Lakers’ lack of overall point guard depth, Schroder will fill arguably the squad’s biggest need.
Paige Spiranac kept it very real. https://t.co/I4ZnqikeDM
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 17, 2020
Of course, the move for him came at a price.
In return for Schroder, the Oklahoma City Thunder are getting the No. 28 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft and possibly Danny Green. At the moment, both organizations are trying to find a third team to offload Green onto, but at as of Tuesday morning, no third partner has emerged.
The Lakers’ trade for Schroder will not be official until after this week’s NBA Draft, as LA will make the pick on Oklahoma City’s behalf.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
