The Los Angeles Lakers rumors continue ahead of what appears to be the team closing in on a deal for Anthony Davis. The New Orleans Pelicans have said they're listening to offers, and one was recently made. However, they could want one key player before the trade goes through. After an initial offer was reported, the Lakers' Kyle Kuzma is now being mentioned as a key component in a deal.
NBA rumors suggest the deal could need Kuzma
Just recently, it was reported what the Lakers were offering the Pelicans in a trade for the Pelicans' All-Star. In another recent tweet, the Los Angeles Times' Lakers beat writer Tania Ganguli mentioned the possibility that it's not enough.
Ganguli said, per a source, that an Anthony Davis trade could require Kyle Kuzma as the New Orleans Pelicans would want him in the deal. Unfortunately, the Lakers don't want to make Kuzma part of their trade package.
One player that the Lakers’ trade discussions with the Pelicans for Anthony Davis could hinge on? Kyle Kuzma. The Lakers do not want to trade him, but the Pelicans want him as part of a package, sources tell me and @BA_Turner.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) June 12, 2019
Interestingly, the Los Angeles Lakers' previous trade offer included two young stars. The team was prepared to offer Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and their No. 4 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft as part of a trade package.
Ball was the No. 2 draft pick several years ago, coming into the league in the same draft class as Kyle Kuzma. The young duo, along with Brandon Ingram was considered the Lakers' core for future success. However, once LeBron James arrived, things changed.
Lakers would be strong title favorites with Davis
The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of several teams trying to land Davis.
The other teams mentioned included the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and Los Angeles Clippers. However, just like the Lakers, the Boston Celtics have already discussed a trade with New Orleans.
In a report via ESPN's The Jump earlier today, NBA insider Brian Windhorst said that the Pelicans would have already made a deal with the Lakers if they wanted to.
It's believed they are trying to drive up the price on the Boston Celtics' trade package. For the Celtics, they'd most likely want to make sure if they can acquire Davis, they'll be able to keep Kyrie Irving in Boston green as well.
No matter which team acquires Davis, it should immediately boost their odds to win an NBA Championship. Caesar's Palace put out NBA Championship odds for 2020 and have the Lakers at 5-1 odds to win it all. Those odds have the Lakers just behind the Golden State Warriors. That seems to show that oddsmakers believe the Lakers are going to land Anthony Davis. Having a superstar of his talents alongside a guy like LeBron James would make those odds make sense.
It's worth mentioning that oddsmakers often try to woo bettors in with enticing odds to draw money in.
Still, right now it's a two-team race in the trade battle for Anthony Davis. Whichever squad lands him will certainly have a top tier player to aid in their quest for a championship.
With a deal possibly hinging on Kyle Kuzma, it would seem that the Lakers may need to do some soul searching and decide if he's worth missing out on a star of Davis' caliber.
