Allow me to describe to you two franchises in disarray. The Los Angeles Lakers, despite a recent NBA championship, find themselves between a rock and a hard place. The rock is the $47+ million they will likely owe Russell Westbrook next season, and the hard place is LeBron James.
Despite his talent, James at this point in his career will demand a team in championship contention, and the Lakers just aren’t that.
The New York Knicks, since the turn of the century, have the lowest winning percentage in the NBA at .418. In that same time frame, the Knicks have the third-fewest playoff wins in the NBA, leading only the Hornets and Timberwolves. Despite being one of the NBA’s most storied franchises, the Knicks have been allergic to success.
The two franchises above, in total disarray, need big changes to salvage their hopes next season. But maybe, they could help one another.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Ranking 3 Most Likely Trade Destinations For Lakers’ Anthony Davis
The Los Angeles Lakers would be wise to move on from Anthony Davis, despite his defensive talent, and find players who can mesh with LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, the latter of whom they will not likely be able to trade away. Players like Evan Fournier or Kemba Walker, despite defensive struggles, could help the Lakers have a functioning offense around their two ball-dominant stars.
The New York Knicks, meanwhile, need to scrap the roster they’ve been building under Tom Thibodeau the past two seasons. Despite a playoff appearance in 2021, the regression of Julius Randle and the Knicks’ team defense was hard to watch in 2022. Adding a star like Anthony Davis could give New York their best player since the prime days of Carmelo Anthony.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Ranking 3 Most Likely Trade Destinations For Lakers’ Anthony Davis
There’s no guarantee that a move like this would work to get the Lakers to championship heights, or the New York Knicks to the playoffs. But it would at least break both teams out of the extremely tough situations they find themselves in.
A deal would likely look something like Anthony Davis in exchange for Evan Fournier, RJ Barrett, Nerlens Noel, and some draft capital. Parting with Barrett would be tough for New York, but they would be adding a proven star in Davis.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers would benefit from Barrett, Fournier, and Noel starting alongside Westbrook and James. The team’s defense would likely be fine with the addition of Noel and Barrett, and Fournier and Barrett’s shooting would open things up for the Lakers’ offense.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Ranking 3 Most Likely Trade Destinations For Lakers’ Anthony Davis
Frankly, both of these franchises are messes. And a huge deal like this would no doubt be messy as well. But it could be just the kind of thing each team needs to get them out of their respective ruts.
