The Los Angeles Lakers are coming off one of their most disappointing seasons in recent memory.
Russell Westbrook’s acquisition last year was supposed to usher in an era of a championship-contending, three-headed monster that would dominate the Western Conference. Instead – they failed to make the playoffs altogether.
Understandably, many are now wondering if L.A. needs to make a big move to change the organization’s fortunes.
This week, a trade proposal emerged that, on paper at least, would do just that.
In a conversation with NBA insider Sean Deveney, one Western Conference executive suggested a deal that would land Anthony Davis with the Chicago Bulls.
“The main way it would happen if it was going to happen was to get Davis somewhere he wants to go, and the main place he’d want to go is Chicago, where he’s from,” the exec said.
“Now, some guys do not want to play in their hometown but I think AD would welcome that, he spoke on that before. Doesn’t mean it would happen, they have not gone out and tried to trade him, but there could be something simple like Zach LaVine for AD, you get a pair of guys going to places they really want to be.
“It would have to wait until January but that would be the deal that makes the most sense if AD is going to change teams.”
This isn’t the first time in recent months that Davis has been linked to a Bulls trade. In fact, the chatter surrounding this idea got so loud at one point that he had to offer a public response to all the speculation.
The problem here, obviously, is that Davis (when healthy) is a much better fit alongside LeBron James than LaVine is. And given that James re-signed just this past week, maximizing what’s left of his career would seemingly make sense.
That said, there is a flip side to that coin. And the flip side is that LaVine is just 27 years old. You can build around him for many years to come.
Davis appears to have committed to getting fit this summer.
Aside from one boozy Las Vegas trip, he seems intent on getting into better shape and actually staying on the court in 2022-23.
Something interesting finally happened at an A’s game. https://t.co/haVcC4oxEQ
— Game 7 (@game7__) August 22, 2022
If that happens, the Lakers will likely stay pat with their James-Davis duo.
Should Davis get hurt again, don’t be shocked if these LaVine rumors intensify once more.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
