Davis traded to the Lakers

[Kingz19]

Great trade for Pelicans. Ball and Ingram are still legit prospects and They get the pick. With Zion and whatever they get at 4 paired with the haul from the Lakers. That’s exciting.

And then there are all those picks. With LeBrons age really showing last season with his ability to stay on the floor, and low key in how he played. Some games he really just settled for a lot of jumpers. Plus AD’s injury history. No matter how it goes now, I don’t see it putting the Lakers on a great long term track.

Lakers would be better served using their cap space to add 2-3 good role players like Pat Beverly and guys like that. Kuzma is probably more the ideal third scorer next to other ball dominant player. If they blow their load on somebody like Walker and then do vintage LeBron team patchwork with the rest of the roster...they will fail in the West.

 

[ESP47]

Ball, Ingram and Zion all together. Not a lot of shooting there. Curious to see how that works out.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Probably a good trade for both teams. The Lakers will more than likely get a championship out of it and New Orleans is flush with assets. Really happy for New Orleans, what fantastic luck in the lottery.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Probably a good trade for both teams. The Lakers will more than likely get a championship out of it and New Orleans is flush with assets. Really happy for New Orleans, what fantastic luck in the lottery.

Lakers are far from a sure thing. Really depends on who they sign with whatever they have left and if players really want to take a discount to be on that roster.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Ball, Ingram and Zion all together. Not a lot of shooting there. Curious to see how that works out.

If they can be patient 2-3 years they are going to be set up nicely through the draft and probably swapping picks for a lottery Lakers in a hopeless rebuild. Getting impatient would be foolish.

 

[iowamcnabb]

Lakers are far from a sure thing. Really depends on who they sign with whatever they have left and if players really want to take a discount to be on that roster.

Agreed, but I never count out Lebron. He is a game changer unlike any other guy in the league and they certainly have a great chance of winning in the next couple of years. I agree with others who think the Lakers should use the rest of their cap for depth not another star. If they sign 3 good fitting pieces they could be tough to beat.

 

[gunks]

Here's hoping Lebron hits his long-awaited decline.

He started to last season. Couldn't play D for poop.

If they land Kemba, that team will be pretty legit, but I can also see it going south. Davis is injury prone. LeBron could possibly have a steep decline as his enters his mid 30s.

Seems to be one of those rare win/win trades though. Pels got a great package for AD, probably the best they could have gotten. Lakers can possibly be contenders for a few seasons, pending FA.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

Agreed, but I never count out Lebron. He is a game changer unlike any other guy in the league and they certainly have a great chance of winning in the next couple of years. I agree with others who think the Lakers should use the rest of their cap for depth not another star. If they sign 3 good fitting pieces they could be tough to beat.

I am not counting him out but he isn't getting younger and he's got a lot of miles on him compared to the "average" 34 year old. But if he's healthy and re-energized he is still a first team all world talent. That said if he experiences any injuries and Davis can't go 70+ games as history indicates may be an issue then what? The Lakers org has put all the pressure on the world on the back of two guys and virtually nothing else. They are going to be a lot of fun to root against, I can say that for sure.

 

[Tetsujin]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1140324357631336449

What a time to be alive

 

[The Effort Police]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1140324357631336449

What a time to be alive

Yeah, Ingram always reminded me of a choir boy, and Lonzo as much as I'm loathe to admit didn't seem to act the same way as his father and brother.

Kuzma on the other hand epitomizes the LA Lakers D-bag, which is why I'm annoyed he got his way and was able to survive the trade.

If they're actually making decisions off the "mamba mentality", then lmao. Look what it did to Tatum.

 

[Tetsujin]

Yeah, Ingram always reminded me of a choir boy, and Lonzo as much as I'm loathe to admit didn't seem to act the same way as his father and brother.

Kuzma on the other hand epitomizes the LA Lakers D-bag, which is why I'm annoyed he got his way and was able to survive the trade.

If they're actually making decisions off the "mamba mentality", then lmao. Look what it did to Tatum.

The part that got me was the part where they expect Kuzma to just fill Lebron's role once his contract expires.

 

[Chupacabra]

Why would the 7akers be favored to win the championship? Make the playoffs first. Besides, to expect success after trading away the amazing, savant basketball genius that is Lonzo Ball is naive.

 

[The_Jamal]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1140324357631336449

What a time to be alive

It's unreal how much money these organizations make and how little they actually care about the people they hire to make lasting long-term decisions.

 

[Kingster]

LBJ is turning 35 next season. He has a zillion miles on the tires because of the age when he started in the NBA and all the playoff games. He had his first real injury last year.

Anthony Davis is an injury waiting to happen: https://basketballforever.com/2017/10/25/anthony-davis-added-injury-history-needs-seen-believed

The Lakers are most likely only going have around $20 mill in FA money. They only have five guys on their roster currently.

All of the above tells me that the Lakers are not going to be winning any championship during the LBJ era. There is much more of a likelihood that LBJ, AD, or both will be out with injury for a significant length of time both this year and into the future.

 

[The_Jamal]

Ball, Ingram and Zion all together. Not a lot of shooting there. Curious to see how that works out.

Pretty sweet starting point though and you get #4/Hart plus the warchest of 1sts from the Lakers. You can always find shooting, you can't always find the skill-sets of Ball/Ingram and Zion

 

[NME]

Davis, Kuzma and James then pray for rain.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Wow. Pelinka really doesn’t care about the future.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1140093277565329408

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Talent is talent; the Lakers will be a Top 4 playoff seed next year with AD and Lebron (pending health).

But they're really not that good of a fit together as far as a superstar pairing goes.

I don't agree: Anthony Davis is arguably the second-most passive "superstar" in the NBA (only behind Big Sawfty in Minnesota). He likes to have the ball, but he doesn't really do much with the ball, relative to other superstars: he's always been a better finisher than a creator, so he should excel playing alongside a guy who has the ability to make the decisions for him, to go along with the talent to justify being said decision maker.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

Davis, Kuzma and James then pray for rain.

Too bad the Lakers don't play in old ARCO.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

If they can be patient 2-3 years they are going to be set up nicely through the draft and probably swapping picks for a lottery Lakers in a hopeless rebuild. Getting impatient would be foolish.

In my estimation, I'd say you have way too high an opinion of the prospects that New Orleans got from the gd lakers. I don't really see it for any of the players they got. And, granted, James is getting old, in sportsball years, and coming off a major injury, but this is the first time he's had a full offseason of rest and recovery since his rookie season: it's also only the second time he hasn't played at least ninety games in a decade, and he still played all the way into June that year. If it turns out that James' injury was a fluke, and he hasn't actually become injury prone, then the lakers won't be bad enough for those picks to be worth anything, for a long time.

That being said, if the Pelicans somehow end up using that unprotected swap in 2023 to draft LeBron James Junior, I'm going to laugh my ****ing ass off.

 

[ESP47]

Pretty sweet starting point though and you get #4/Hart plus the warchest of 1sts from the Lakers. You can always find shooting, you can't always find the skill-sets of Ball/Ingram and Zion

I think one of Ball/Ingram will have to be moved. Most likely Ball. I think the Pels got the better end of the deal for sure with the draft picks since the Lakers are much more likely to decline quicker than say the Celtics.

What's funny is AD will basically be in the exact same situation in a couple years. Just in LA.

 

[steelevt]

That being said, if the Pelicans somehow end up using that unprotected swap in 2023 to draft LeBron James Junior, I'm going to laugh my ****ing ass off.

meh. LeBron and rich Paul will just pull a "draft him and we will sit the year" bs so he will go to a team of their choice. I hate how draftees Make threats to dictate where they are drafted.

Edit: But yes that would be funny.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

meh. LeBron and rich Paul will just pull a "draft him and we will sit the year" bs so he will go to a team of their choice.

No, he won't.

I hate how draftees Make threats to dictate where they are drafted.

I don't. I am one hundred percent in favor of the players having more power. But, it doesn't matter, because he wouldn't do it. Rich might try to flex and say that Bronny would like to play in LA or (insert city here) but, unless they abolish the draft (which I'd be here for), he'll ultimately play wherever he gets drafted.

 

[The_Jamal]

I think one of Ball/Ingram will have to be moved. Most likely Ball. I think the Pels got the better end of the deal for sure with the draft picks since the Lakers are much more likely to decline quicker than say the Celtics.

What's funny is AD will basically be in the exact same situation in a couple years. Just in LA.

Possibly, I'd like to see what a healthy Ball can do. He's a monster defensive player/rebounder already, just waiting to see if he can get that efficiency to passable levels. Didn't help that the Lakers had no faith in him when he was healthy, just kept him on a short leash with Rondo.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1140644114272346112

 

[pdxKingsFan]

In my estimation, I'd say you have way too high an opinion of the prospects that New Orleans got from the gd lakers.

Nah, I just think if LA makes waves they will do it before all those picks convey. By the time LeBron's contract is up and he is pushing 40 there's a fair chance that they are back in the lottery and owe NO two pick swaps and an unprotected pick right as Zion and number 4 are coming into their own.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

Nah, I just think if LA makes waves they will do it before all those picks convey. By the time LeBron's contract is up and he is pushing 40 there's a fair chance that they are back in the lottery and owe NO two pick swaps and an unprotected pick right as Zion and number 4 are coming into their own.

The history of the gd lakers suggests that it is likelier that they'll have acquired their next FA superstar than that they'll be back in the lottery by then.

 

[pdxKingsFan]

The history of the gd lakers suggests that it is likelier that they'll have acquired their next FA superstar than that they'll be back in the lottery by then.

Ever since the Dwight Howard/Steve Nash supercombo it hasn't really worked out for them. They will always have a certain shine because LA but their organizational culture is a poop-show right now and I am not sure how quickly they can right that.

But yeah, don't bet against them. sure. But hard to see how they are any better than Dolan and the Knicks with Jeannie, Pelinka, Klutch and Mrs. Rambis wielding varying degrees of power.

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

The Howard/Nash supercombo failed, in part, because those were two players who were almost uniquely unsuited to play with Kobe Bryant, at that stage of his career. By the time LeBron James' career is at the end of his rope, they'll still have another couple years of Davis in his relative prime, and the sort of players that are a bad fit for Davis' skillset, they don't really make, any more. Like, unless you think that the best FA that the lakers will be able to get in 2023 or so is the '23 equivalent of Carmelo Anthony?

 

[ESP47]

Possibly, I'd like to see what a healthy Ball can do. He's a monster defensive player/rebounder already, just waiting to see if he can get that efficiency to passable levels. Didn't help that the Lakers had no faith in him when he was healthy, just kept him on a short leash with Rondo.

I don't think Ball is total trash like a lot of people seem to think but I think he needs to be in the perfect situation in order to be successful and I don't know if NO is going to be it. The Lakers with Lebron definitely weren't it.