While they have slipped in the standings over the last several weeks due to LeBron James and Anthony Davis being out with injuries, the Los Angeles Lakers are still very much in the hunt to repeat as NBA champions. While LeBron James will likely be back before the end of the year, as he is dealing with a high ankle sprain, there are definitely question marks around Anthony Davis. 

Not much has been released by the Lakers on his rehab process or timetable for his return, but they definitely are not going to rush him back onto the court. Anthony Davis has been out since February 14th with a “calf injury” and almost nothing has been said about the severity of his injury. Is this an Achilles injury or is it just a really bad calf strain/tear? 

Nobody knows what is going on with Anthony Davis at the moment, but the Lakers do need to be careful because they do not want to rush him back too soon and have him get injured again. This situation is definitely reminiscent of Kevin Durant’s mysterious “calf injury” that ultimately resulted in him tearing his Achilles. 

This may not be the case with Davis and we currently hope this is not the case for the superstar big man, but the Lakers do need to be careful because if he comes back too soon and injures his leg again, then that is it, Anthony Davis will be out for the remainder of the season. 

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Whether or not the Lakers can repeat as champions and find the same success they did last season is unknown, but with the pending free agency of Dennis Schroder and the possibility that Montrezl Harrell opts out of his contract, Los Angeles will definitely be looking towards ways to improve their roster in the offseason, whether or not they win the title again. These will be key influencing factors to monitor in NBA trade rumors.

As a result, they could look to add more backcourt talent, which is why Eric Bledsoe could possibly be on their radar. The Lakers and Pelicans have worked together on deals before, hence why Anthony Davis is in Los Angeles, and they could very much look to strike another deal with one another during the offseason.