Why The Lakers Should Trade For Anthony Davis

Yesterday, Rich Paul (Davis' agent) told the New Orleans Pelicans that Davis doesn't plan on signing a contract extension with the team and that he also wants to be traded elsewhere. Well as Paul said it, Davis wants to be traded to a team where he can compete for a championship. And so, a lot of teams are now trying to acquire the 25 year old Forward, who was also the 1st overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. Teams like the Celtics, Knicks, Bucks, Spurs, Raptors and Lakers are all reportedly preparing to make trade packages in order to acquire the all around forward. But out of all these teams, The Lakers and Celtics are the clear frontrunners of making this blockbuster swap. Here's why: The Lakers and Celtics have enough pieces to offer including young players and draft picks in exchange for Davis. If the Pelicans decide to trade their franchise player, that means they will have to go back from the beginning and start a rebuild. And for them to rebuild, they will need multiple assets like draft picks and young talents that can probably develop into great players one day. The Lakers are reportedly willing to go all in and trade their young core like Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Brandon Ingram for Davis. Last offseason, the Lakers signed LeBron James to a 4 yr/ $153 million dollar contract. Both James and Davis are represented by Rich Paul via Klutch Sports. And with LeBron fastly approaching father time at 34 years old, the Lakers would like to win now and they know LeBron cannot do it alone especially with the mighty Golden State Warriors on the same conference and is still the team to beat in the league. Which is why acquiring a talent like Anthony Davis makes a lot of sense for the Lakers. Davis is still 25 years old and is already considered as one of the best and most dominant players in the NBA. He is the modern era version of Kevin Garnett, who, like Davis, spent most of his best years playing for a small market team like the Minnesota Timberwolves without winning a championship during the early 2000s. And for Davis, he should take Garnett's situation before as an example and that he should not waste his prime years playing for a franchise who can't surround him with enough talent in order to compete in a very tough Western Conference. Being traded to the Lakers means he gets to play alongside the best player in this generation, LeBron James. And it doesn't end there because the Lakers are also looking to sign another superstar via free agency this offseason in order to form a "Big Three" that can match Golden State's superteam. A team with LeBron and probably another superstar like Durant, Thompson, Leonard or Irving (some notable upcoming free agents) should be very interesting and it will definitely make Davis and the Lakers a legit title contender. 

As for the Celtics, they cannot make a trade for Davis until this summer because of the "Rose Rule". A team cannot have two players with the Rose Rule applied in their contracts. Davis and Boston's star point guard Kyrie Irving have Rose Rules in their current contracts.

If the Lakers really want to acquire Davis, then they will have to do it before the trade deadline and before their competition and ultimate rival, the Celtics, can make a move.