It's now painfully obvious for Los Angeles Lakers fans that their team isn't heading to any postseason glory. Instead, LeBron James and company will take a break this summer. That should give the players time to recover, refresh, and prepare for the next season. It'll also give the Lakers' front office time to work on upgrading their team by signing a top free agent or two.
A Celtics star says the Lakers should trade LeBron. Former Lakers star Kobe Bryant feels the team needs to make that Anthony Davis trade happen.
Kobe: Davis better than Lakers' young core
While there have been recent headlines with Paul Pierce suggesting the Lakers should trade Lebron if they get the No. 1 draft pick, that's very unlikely to happen this summer. If the team gets that draft pick, they could possibly put Zion Williamson on the same roster with LeBron. Or make a big trade, sending that pick to New Orleans as part of a deal for Anthony Davis. Kobe Bryant thinks another trade should happen for AD.
Bryant was recently quoted on the Spanish sports site AS.com talking about that deal. In the translated quote Kobe asks and answers, "Kuzma, Lonzo, Ingram...are the three of them better than Anthony Davis? No! Ciao! Bye!" He went on to call Davis "one of the best players in the world" and suggested that if you have an opportunity to trade those young Lakers players for a star of Davis' caliber, you go for it.
The LA Lakers reportedly made such an offer, also including young player Josh Hart and draft picks to sweeten the deal just before the trade deadline. However, the Pelicans' management at the time didn't like the Lakers' trade offer for Anthony Davis and the negotiations ended.
Summer of opportunities
The 2019 NBA offseason will be one of the most intriguing in recent memory. While the "which team will LeBron join?" questions were popular last summer, this summer will feature a number of All-Star, high-talent NBA free agents. A number of them are very likely to sign with new teams in search of a better payout, or opportunity.
The Lakers' All-Star gave a pitch to potential NBA free agents after his team's one-point loss to the Knicks on Sunday. LeBron mentioned that the Lakers cater to their players first, and everything else comes second. He and the front office are certainly hoping the top free agents will be interested.
Some of the available players might include Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, and Kevin Durant.
There were rumors several weeks ago that Butler will be a key target in free agency with a lucrative offer awaiting him. The Lakers will be Butler's fourth team in his career.
However, based on all the bargaining chips the Lakers possess they could very well re-engage New Orleans on a deal for Anthony Davis too. If Kobe Bryant were running things, he'd find a way to make that deal happen ASAP. Sorry Lonzo, Kuz, and BI!