On Wednesday, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported that LeBron James is very interested in bringing Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers.
A superstar player wanting to add another superstar to his team isn't exactly breaking news, but this situation is unique. Davis is under contract through the 2020-2021 season, but that final year is a player option, and he will most likely decline the option in order to sign a more lucrative deal.
Stephen Curry will make over $43 million in 2020-2021, so Davis is surely worth more than his projected salary. Davis is not even the highest-paid player on his own team right now. This leaves the New Orleans Pelicans in a tough spot. They are already over the salary cap, and two of their key players, Nikola Mirotic and Julius Randle, will be free agents after the season. Additionally, they are in 13th place in the Western Conference.
Trading Davis may not be the best path to take, but the discussion certainly needs to be had.
The Lakers may not be able to put together the best offer for Davis, but if James is able to convince Davis to set his sights on Hollywood, that may not matter. Los Angeles doesn't have the draft capital and young stars that the Boston Celtics do, but they can offer a compelling package in their own right. Here are five options for the Lakers to land the Pelicans' superstar.
5. A Three-Team Blockbuster
NOP receives: LAL 2019 and 2021 1st round picks, SF Brandon Ingram, SG Josh Hart, SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG J.R. Smith
LAL receives: PF Anthony Davis, C Ante Zizic
CLE receives: LAL 2023 1st round pick, SF Solomon Hill, PG Elfrid Payton, C Moritz Wagner, C JaVale McGee
Any trade proposal needs to include a couple of baseline requirements. The Lakers must retain as much cap space as possible so they can sign a player to a max contract in 2019. They are currently projected to have almost $40 million in space next summer, which is enough to sign a star. They also cannot completely gut their bench, as being a top-heavy team in the West is a surefire way to miss the Finals.
On the Pelicans' side, they need to get draft picks and good young players to build around, while increasing their future cap space.
The biggest hurdle in a deal will be finding a way to match salary. After LeBron James's $35 million hit, the next-most-expensive Laker is Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at $12 million. A third team may end up being required to facilitate the trade, as L.A. just doesn't have the pricey deals to give up, which is a very good thing, as long as the team isn't trying to land a $25+ million per year player.
It's clear that if Davis is dealt to Los Angeles, it will be in a blockbuster trade, the likes of which the NBA has rarely seen. There are so many moving parts that have to be accounted for. In this scenario, the Pelicans get two draft picks, two good young players, and cap relief for next season. The Lakers get their star as well as a reserve center prospect. The facilitating Cavaliers benefit as well, receiving Hill's contract, which could be flipped for more capital during the 2019-2020 season, a draft pick, and a better center prospect.
4. No Third Team Is Needed
NOP receives: LAL 2019 and 2021 1st round picks, PG Rajon Rondo, SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SF Brandon Ingram
LAL receives: PF Anthony Davis
There is a way to keep a third team out of a Davis swap, but it isn't a great deal for either side. The Pelicans aren't able to shed Solomon Hill's contract and the Lakers are forced to give up their bench floor general. This certainly is not ideal, but if the Lakers aren't able to convince a third team to enter the ring, this may be the best they are able to do.
3. A Different Third Team Is Thrown Into the Mix
NOP receives: LAL 2019 and 2021 1st round picks, SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG Josh Hart, SG Iman Shumpert, SF Brandon Ingram
LAL receives: PF Anthony Davis
SAC receives: SF Solomon Hill, SF Micheal Beasley, LAL 2023 1st round pick
The Kings are the only NBA team that is not over the salary cap, meaning they are a good option as a facilitator. For their trouble of swapping Shumpert's contact for Hill and Beasley, they gain an extra future first-rounder and can flip Hill's deal next season. Nothing changes for the Pelicans or Lakers.
2. Getting the Suns Involved
NOP receives: LAL 2019 and 2021 1st round picks, SG Josh Hart, SG Svi Mykhailiuk, SF Brandon Ingram, PF Ryan Anderson
LAL receives: PF Anthony Davis
PHX receives: SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SF Solomon Hill, NOP 2020 1st round pick top 20 protected
In this scenario, the Pelicans take on the albatross contract of Ryan Anderson. This will allow them to either flip Anderson next season for draft picks, as his deal will be expiring, or retain him and gain the cap space for themselves. The Suns acquire a protected first-rounder and essentially divide Anderson's contract into two smaller ones. Caldwell-Pope could be re-signed, and Hill can be traded next year.
1. Another Option with No Third Team
NOP receives: PG Lonzo Ball, PG Rajon Rondo, SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG Lance Stephenson, SF Brandon Ingram, SF Micheal Beasley
LAL receives: PG Jrue Holiday, PF Anthony Davis
The most outlandish proposal on this list is also the biggest risk for the Lakers. They would have over 80 percent of their salary cap devoted to just three players, and would need to add four rotation members either off the street or from the G-League. They also part ways with both Ball and Ingram, in a definition of a win-now move. There would be no max contract next offseason for the Lakers, and they would be forced to scrounge the free agent market for veterans looking to chase a ring. They could even bring back Rondo and Stephenson for next season.
While this move would completely hamstring the team financially, L.A.'s starting lineup for this season would give the Warriors something to worry about. Jrue Holiday, Josh Hart, LeBron James, Kyle Kuzma, and Anthony Davis is certainly enough to put up a good fight against the two-time defending champion. It is not nearly as prudent as keeping Ball, adding Davis, and signing a third superstar next summer, but Holiday would be a very interesting fit next to James, as he is one of the best all-around guards in the NBA.
The Pelicans don't get any draft picks in this deal, but they get nearly $30 million in expiring contracts along with two bright young stars. If there is a perfect way to start a rebuild, this is it.
While Anthony Davis would make the Lakers a legitimate Finals contender, the finances involved make a trade somewhat unlikely. The team may be better off waiting until after next season to acquire the big man, but by that point, LeBron James will be nearly 35 years old. He can't play at an elite level forever, and the Lakers must be mindful of that when planning their moves to enter title contention.
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