The Los Angeles Lakers gave up a lot to get Anthony Davis, and it instantly paid off as they won an NBA championship. But Davis has barely seen the court ever since, and his injury-proneness will always raise doubts about him.
LeBron James and Davis are close friends, and the Lakers are invested in their one-two punch. But if history has taught us something is that no player is in the clear when it comes to James and the Lakers.
With that in mind and looking ahead to the franchise's long-term plans, a Western Conference executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy that the Lakers could try and swap Davis for Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine at some point next season.
NBA Rumors: Lakers Could Trade Anthony Davis For Zach LaVine
(Transcript via Heavy)
"Sean Deveney of Heavy.com recently reported that there are those in the organization who would like to see Davis’ value around the NBA. The team hasn’t started shopping him but it’s interesting that some would be open to it. Deveney spoke to another Western Conference executive who believes that the Chicago Bulls could provide an interesting trade partner for Los Angeles if they decide to shop Davis.
'The main way it would happen if it was going to happen was to get Davis somewhere he wants to go, and the main place he’d want to go is Chicago, where he’s from,' the executive told Deveney. 'Now, some guys do not want to play in their hometown but I think AD would welcome that, he spoke on that before. Doesn’t mean it would happen, they have not gone out and tried to trade him, but there could be something simple like Zach LaVine for AD, you get a pair of guys going to places they really want to be. It would have to wait until January but that would be the deal that makes the most sense if AD is going to change teams.'"
LaVine is also a Klutch Sports client and attended UCLA, so the ties to Los Angeles are obvious. Davis is a Chicago native and has hinted at possibly playing for the Bulls at one point in his career, so there's that.
This trade could make a lot of sense from a basketball standpoint. The Lakers get set for the future with an All-Star and potential franchise player, the Bulls compete right away, and Davis gets his homecoming. What's not to like?
