NBA Rumos: Magic Johnson urges Lakers to trade Anthony Davis

The Los Angeles Lakers have been through hell over the past decade. Other than their championship season in the bubble, it seems like there’s always been a story. It happened to Kobe Bryant, and it’s happening to LeBron James now.

The Lakers wanted to make the most of James’ time in Los Angeles and rightfully so. They traded away most of their young core to pair him with Anthony Davis and wreak havoc in the Western Conference.

And, while it certainly worked in their first year together, Davis’ never-ending issues with injuries have prevented them from becoming the perennial contender they thought they’d be. That’s why Magic Johnson wants him to stay on the court or walk out the door.

NBA Rumors: Magic Johnson Says Lakers Should Trade Anthony Davis

“AD, you gotta change, whatever it is, you gotta stay healthy,” Magic said. “Or, the Lakers gotta say ‘man, after next season if you don’t stay healthy,’ they gotta look at you and say ‘you should be somewhere else.’ Because they need you on the court, not in your clothes sitting on the bench.”

Johnson Blames LeBron For The Lakers’ Terrible Season

The legendary point guard also made the most of the chance to point the finger at the only person responsible for the team’s poorly-built roster. Per Magic, they would’ve been a Finals contender if it wasn’t for LeBron James’ influence:

“When I think about it, the blame that he has to take is the fact that (DeMar) DeRozan ended up in Chicago and not with the Lakers,” Magic said. “Because DeRozan wanted to play for the Lakers… I got the call from his agent, saying, ‘Hey, he wants to come home’. And DeRozan could have been a Laker instead of a Bull. But when Russell and LeBron and them started talking, that’s when they nixed that deal and went with Westbrook.”

“And the thing with DeRozan is, you had the chance to keep the role players,” he added.“Caruso, KCP, all those guys who are our best defenders, they left. And that’s why we were a bad defensive team. But if you sign DeRozan, you only trade Kuzma for Buddy Hield, we would be playing in the Western Conference Finals.”

At the end of the day, it’s hard not to hear Magic’s words and think that the Lakers would’ve been better off by not listening to LeBron. Then again, we all know how crossing your best player usually ends in this league.