Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson was a special guest on ESPN's Get Up program recently and he had quite a few things to say about the current state of affairs for his beloved purple and gold. Now that the Lakers are virtually out of contention for the playoffs, Magic had some sound advice for the team with regard to what lies ahead for them.
In a rather lengthy tirade, Johnson talked about LeBron James and his excellent season, Russell Westbrook and what the future holds for him, as well as what he thinks the front office should do regarding this current roster. Magic also had a special message for Anthony Davis as he took aim at AD's inability to stay healthy:
“AD, you gotta change whatever it is,” Johnson stated. “You gotta stay healthy. Or the Lakers gotta say, after next season, if you don't stay healthy, they gotta look at you and say, ‘Maybe you should be somewhere else.' Because they need you on the court, not in your clothes sitting on the bench. So I think he's gotta change some things.”
Magic Johnson clearly wasn't happy here and he did not hold back with his criticism of AD and his multitude of injuries. This season, Davis had already missed 39 games due to injury. That's exactly the same number of games he's played. As of writing, the Lakers big man has been out of the lineup for exactly half the time. Most recently, AD missed 18 straight games due to a foot sprain, and this was during arguably the most important stretch of LA's season.
It is also worth noting that Davis missed 36 out of the Lakers' 72 games last year.
To be clear, Magic Johnson isn't saying that the Lakers should trade Davis this summer. In his mind, the Lakers icon believes that AD deserves another chance. However, if his injury woes continue in 2022-23, Johnson thinks that LA should then seriously consider parting ways with their prized big man.
For his part, however, Davis appears to already be growing tired of all this injury talk. The eight-time All-Star recently went on an NSFW rant about the criticism he's received for being in and out of the lineup. According to AD, he's just doing what's in his best interest:
“So, what the [expletive] do you want me to do? When I play, it’s a problem. It’s a problem when I don’t play,” Davis said. “At the end of the day, I’ve got to do what’s best for me and how my body feels. And we go from there. I’m not worried about who’s saying what or who thinks this about me because none of them have stepped on the floor and played. And the ones that did play, they should understand.”
Magic Johnson falls in the category of those that “did play” so according to Davis, Magic should understand what he's going through. Johnson doesn't appear to agree with this notion, though, as he's made it abundantly clear that AD could prove to be dispensable if this injury trend continues.
For what it's worth, Davis' current deal runs through the 2024-25 season, with the final year of his contract containing a Player Option. The Lakers are tied up to AD for the long run, but at this point, is Magic Johnson right in suggesting that they should at least consider the possibility of trading him?
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