The Los Angeles Lakers looked shaky in their season debut against the Denver Nuggets. However, the Lakers executed well in their second game against the Phoenix Suns off Anthony Davis' double-double. Kendrick Perkins believes LA can reach a higher level if they consider trading for James Harden.

Would James Harden make the Lakers better?

Perkins believes that James Harden is better suited to the Lakers than the Clippers due to LA's personnel.

“If I'm the Los Angeles Lakers, I might be looking to trade for James Harden. He wants to go to the Clippers, but [going to the Lakers] makes the most sense for Anthony Davis”, the analyst said on NBA Today.

“If you want to get [Davis] good easy looks like James Harden did for Joel Embiid last season, how about trading for him?”

Kendrick Perkins has a point. Harden led the NBA in assists (10.7 per game) during the 2022-23 season. The former All-Star had an excellent target to pass to in Joel Embiid, who happened to lead the league in scoring. Harden could help Davis and the Lakers get more looks, but there is a barrier.

Los Angeles has its own elite playmaker in LeBron James. James comes off a season where he averaged 6.8 assists per game, which put him as one of the top 13 assist leaders in the NBA. In addition, Harden might open things up for LA, but his presence could mess with the chemistry the Lakers worked hard to build.

LA showed strength against the Devin Booker-less Suns in a 95-100 win. Anthony Davis had 30 points and 12 rebounds while James nearly had a 21-point triple-double. Clearly, the Lakers have the talent necessary to find success in the stacked Western Conference.