Anthony Davis isn’t sure if the Lakers‘ front office will try to trade him after the season, ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports. Davis is signed through the 2024/25 season, though there’s an early termination option prior to the final year.
“Obviously I love it in L.A. If that’s something that they’re considering, then we’ll have a conversation about it,” he said. “I don’t know what they’re talking about, what’s the plan.”
Davis missed a chunk of time this season due to a foot injury but he bristles at the notion that he’s injury prone.
“To be honest, my training methods were top tier,” he said. “I can’t control stepping on someone’s foot and I can’t control someone falling into my leg. It’s not like I’m out of shape and I did some crazy (stuff) or it was anything I could control.”
We have more on the Lakers:
- Davis (right foot soreness), LeBron James (left ankle soreness), and Russell Westbrook (right shoulder soreness) sat out Thursday’s game against the Warriors, Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register writes. It’s unclear if the trio will be shut down for the remainder of the season but the Lakers have little to play for after getting eliminated from postseason contention.
- The Lakers’ best future option is for the front office to start running the club like a small market team, Moke Hamilton of the Basketball News opines. They need to find a way to get back into the draft, most likely by trading Talen Horton-Tucker, and uncover diamonds in the rough through scouting and player development.
- The Los Angeles Times’ Broderick Turner breaks down all the roster decisions that GM Rob Pelinka and senior advisor Kurt Rambis need to make this offseason.
- The same topics are explored by the Bleacher Report’s’ Eric Pincus, who notes that significant changes are unlikely to occur within the front office.
- The franchise has come up short of lofty expectations created by the additions of James four years ago and Davis three years ago, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today notes. While the Lakers won a championship in the Orlando bubble in 2020, competing for multiple championships was expected. They missed the playoffs in James’ first and fourth seasons in L.A. and lost in the first round last season.
- In case you missed it, Trevor Ariza was waived on Thursday.
I’m not injury prone?! AD, you’ve been in the league 10 years, and in those 10 years you have played more than 70 games just twice. No one’s saying you don’t train hard, you’re body is just not durable.
Seen a clip about AD and being injured a lot. Compared to most big men AD has a habit for always falling, be in contesting for a rebound, huddling for a steal or loose ball he always ends up on the floor. The impact of falling and constantly having to get up at 7 foot tall and having previous injuries is why he’s always banged up.
I agree with him, many stars are more injury prone than him, he just has the bad rep.
Exactly. All injury prone implies, is that you have a pattern of often being injured. It doesn’t imply it’s your fault or that you don’t train hard enough.
He’s not injury prone, he just gets hurt a lot…
Got it.
He had top tier training methods that couldn’t prepare him for accidentally having his foot stepped on.
“Criticizing” AD about his injury history is a low-hanging fruit which I have picked many times but anyone who has played contact sports in college or high school knows that everyone eventually gets injured accidently. Getting hurt every year and missing 10+% of the regular season looks like you are high risk bet, though, and buyers should beware.
If AD believes what he says then he should sign a contract with huge reductions in pay if he misses games or worse, misses the playoffs due to injuries.
Trading AD would be the smart move to do but I doubt they trade him. Trading Lebron would be smart too but another hard thing to do. lakers look like they are stuck and just hope 2024 is the year they can get better not 2023.
@arc
I don’t think trading LBJ would be difficult at all. He’s on a 1 year deal and still a top 5 player. Now would they do it without asking him for permission (even if they don’t need)? I doubt it. He DID deliver them a championship and IS a top all-time great. Would look bad to send somewhere he doesn’t want to be.
Someone explain why I should give a care about AD at this point? He is irrelevant until he plays A minute.
Run it back is the best approach?
Salary dump trade is the best approach?
There is nothing to do with Lakers draft pick
Trade away Davis and LeBron. Lakers still have Westbrook to build round?
I totally agree Sillivan trade LeBron and Davis also the 5 that started against the Warriors i would take a hard look at them because they played good together.
LeGM made this mess. he should be the one to find a dumping ground for Westbrook.
LeGM calls his Klutch co-owner Rich Paul, makes a Wall-Westbrook (plus picks) trade ….. a shot Wall should be much better than this version of Westbrook.
AD to the Bulls for Vucevic and Patrick Williams … other picks and minor players maybe evening it out … could be the roll of the dice the Bulls need and Lakers get a young talent in return
No thank you says AKME
CHI would need to send Vucevic, PW & at least 6 1st round picks & some extra sweetener for LAL to sit in that table my friend!
It’s VERY painful for Lakers fans, but Lakers best option is to trade away both AD and Lebron NOW and rebuild. Or else, you will have an average team with no future. Lebron is
old and cant rely on him. He and AD can easily have career ending injuries…. Rebuild now!
@Michol
ppl are so in love with draft picks. Before LBJ got there the Lakers had 5 consecutive years of not breaking 30 wins. They had Ingrim, Ball, Hart, Randle, Caruso, D. Russell, e.t.c. Not a single indication of them getting better. LBJ comes and in 2 years delivers a chip. Isn’t that the goal??? Go ahead and trade away AD and LBJ and see how long it takes for them to be relevant again.
You are not wrong, but they are getting old.
11th place is terrible and it will only get worse. Besides, franchise players are often drafted by original teams and it’s time. LBJ and AD might not have much value in another year.
@Michol
Whether they are drafted or not doesn’t matter. Shaq, McGrady, Kobe, Webber, Garnett, Nash, etc are all guys that spent the majority of their prime years with a team other than the one that drafted them.
LBJ is a FA after next session so yes now would be the time where his value is at its highest but really, do you want to punt on next season just to suck bad enough that maybe you get a high pick that MIGHT turn into something?
AGREE
Trade Russ, THT and the 2027 first for Hayward and Rozier.
Trade AD for Vuce and Patrick Williams.
Leaving you with
1. LeBron
2. Rozier
3. Hayward
4. Williams
5. Vuce
This gives the Lakers the shooting they want around LeBron, and helps the defence. They are much younger and less injury prone.
Then when Bron leaves to follow Bronny into the league they actually have something.
From a Hornets fan’s perspective: No! No, just no! A thousand times no! I don’t want RW on the Hornets wrecking Ball’s development, and stinking up the court.
Only way I’d be remotely in favor of this is if the Lakers find 3 1sts they don’t have to ship along with Russ, and the Hornets immediately cut Russ.
Hasta la vista, AD.
Lakers need player development. Agree 100%. A real coach. And players who actually play hard and play team ball. Look at the Raptors! Grizzlies! Look at the Spurs! The Lakers are a thousand years away from that.
The franchise has the ability to attract talent in free agency, but that’s not enough nowadays. Gotta develop at least a quality 10-man rotation with fresh legs and high basketball IQ.
@Daniel
Look at the Raptors, Grizzlies and Spurs…..? What have they done again????. Grizzlies have been a bad team for a while. Toronto is a decent franchise that didn’t do a dang thing except for the 1 year with Kawhi. Spurs are a great organization but they haven’t been relevant in the last 3 years and are 12 games below .500 this season at 34-46. They are developing young guys but this isn’t a good team despite being in a position to make it to the playoffs. In the meantime, LBJ has delivered a chip to LA.
The chip was cool, no doubt about it. But a franchise should always be in the hunt for another one.
Playing competitivo basketball. A team sport.
Seems as though AD and LeBron only care about chillin in LA. Especially after they got one.
AD needs to figure some things out regarding his health and see what he can do to make sure he’s on the floor more. In a perfect world, we would be able to trade the old players for young players/draft picks but it doesn’t always pan out that way. We don’t need to just dump salary and start over, it would only work out if we receive value in return. I still say the best option is to ride it out with LeBron/AD and see if we can get Russ to buy into a 6th man role for next season. If that happens and we’re able to secure some viable rotation guys that can shoot and play tough defense, this team is back in the playoffs next season. This season was an absolute nightmare. Pelinka assembled a terrible roster without the proper supporting pieces to get it done. I’ve defended Vogel a lot and still think it’s more of Pelinka’s fault but he didn’t get the most out of his guys when it counted. Things need to be shaken up but I think that this will be a case of making some adjustments rather than a complete overhaul.
It only makes sense to trade AD this off season if LBJ is also being traded (which the LAL should be prepared to do, in conjunction with him, if he does not sign an extension). Any post-LBJ rebuild prior to 2025 is not going to be simple, though, as the they do not have control of their own draft picks (through 2025). So, recouping some future assets for AD would be almost a requirement at that point.