Why The Los Angeles Lakers Do The Deal 

Obviously, most fans expect the Lakers to solve their problems by trading Russell Westbrook. Realistically, that’s more likely than a Davis trade. 

At the same time, trading Westbrook will require them to surrender some draft capital. By contrast, Davis has looked good this year – he may actually have trade value. Moreover, he’s not exactly a sharpshooter himself. Davis is also limiting this team’s spacing. 

If the Lakers want to hold onto their draft capital, they still need to do something major to fix this team. This deal could be extremely helpful. Anunoby and Trent Jr. both possess valuable 3-and-D skill sets.

Most significantly, they both possess the spacing abilities to complement an offense structured around James and Westbrook. 

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers & Toronto Raptors Updates

Following this deal, the Lakers would still need a stretch big man to maintain four-out spacing around Westbrook. Hopefully, injured big man Thomas Bryant will return. Still, this deal goes a long way toward putting a more functional group around Westbrook. 

What does it do for the Raptors?