La La Land might have just risen from the ashes and is now laughing all the way to the bank. With one single move, the Lakers have catapulted themselves to the top of the NBA preseason rankings. Rob Pelinka managed to orchestrate an exchange that brings Anthony Davis to the Lakers and sends Josh Hart, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and three first-round picks to the New Orleans Pelicans.
This move shook the sports world I am certain of that. LeBron finally has another star to aid him in his quest to get back to the Finals. Let me be very clear: Anthony Davis isn’t just another All-Star in this league. He could easily go down as a Top 5 Power Forward in the history of the NBA. The blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis revealed many things. Let’s get into the 3 major ones.
First Things First
The Lakers are all in, right now. This trade needed to happen now, not a year from now like most expected. The West is wide open (if Kawhi stays put), due to injuries, tensions and younger teams’ inability to sprout in the conference. The front office gave up everything they had, excluding Kyle Kuzma, knowing that the aging LeBron cannot win alone in this NBA. The only issue with the trade is that they now have 9 to 10 roster spots to fill, and only about 25-33 million in cap space to do so. The LA Lakers will be laughing up to the bank, but crying by the time they leave. They have traded away their future in hopes of a brighter present.
Next…
Secondly, it’s Anthony Davis’ time to reign. This trade dramatically changes the path for Anthony Davis career. In today’s NBA, fans and voters prioritize winning. When we talk about the best players in the game, we hear a lot of LeBron, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard. What is the commonality? They all have championship rings and have been a part of winning cultures.
Anthony Davis is just as talented, if not more than those names previously mentioned. The only problem is that he hasn’t been able to stay healthy nor has he played for an actual playoff team. For the first time in his career, he will be playing on a team with expectations. He will also have LeBron, who will open up the floor for him and provide him with higher percentage shots. He should dominate.
For The Pelicans
Thirdly, General Manager David Griffin has a belief that he can turn Zion Williamson into the next LeBron James. The other first-round picks, combined with the current veterans, could provide the Big Easy with a dynasty in the near future. I’m already predicting that they can compete at a high level as presently constructed. 2019 is the third time in the franchise history that they’ve had the number one overall pick. The last time was in 2009 when they selected Anthony Davis. Chris Paul was their first. The future is very bright in New Orleans.
Staples Center. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Tertiary7 | Under Creative Commons License