Anthony Davis: For the Lakers It's Now or Never

It's a bit of a running joke in NBA circles, but anybody that has achieved anything in the league is a #FutureLaker according to the purple and gold fan base.

While most of those calls are later mocked, there's an air of confidence around the popular hashtag at the moment.

With Anthony Davis now on the block and a trade being inevitable, the Lakers have a chance to land the superstar in his prime they've longed for since Kobe Bryant peaked and Shaq moved on.

Now come the questions... so many questions.

READ: The Lakers Youth: Adjusting to Life with LeBron James

What would it take for the Lakers to nab Davis before the deadline?

Other than LeBron James, everybody should be on the block. Whatever the Pelicans want, the Lakers will consider it.

Along with a few draft picks, the below trade might be the best case scenario for the Lakers.

Kyle Kuzma is the best of the Lakers core right now and the most likely to be traded of anybody on the roster. He can produce at a high level already, and unlike the other two, the Pelicans know exactly what they're getting. 

In Lonzo Ball and Ivica Zubac, the Pelicans receive two productive players with plenty of potential to improve. Ball, in particular, can still become one of the better point guards in the NBA. He's already an elite defender, his vision is an A+, and his shot is slowly starting to fall.

Kentavious Caldwell-Cope is a salary filler, but only if he wants to be. Represented by Rich Paul who also takes care of James and Davis, Caldwell-Pope would need convincing to veto the power he has over any trade. He wants a larger role, and won't necessarily get it in New Orleans.

Now, the Lakers would struggle to get this deal over the line. Unless Davis scares off other suitors by refusing to sign an extension anywhere other than Los Angeles, the Pelicans will demand more.

Brandon Ingram will be a talking point of any potential trade. His inclusion also removes the possible roadblock of Caldwell-Pope's option to veto.

The Lakers have long said they won't trade Ingram, but with Davis on the table, they surely have to at least consider it.

At just 21-years old, Ingram is criminally underrated by most outside of LA. He has the physical tools to succeed, and as he learns to use his body in contact, his ability as a scorer will continue to improve. While not a point guard, as a ball-handler, Ingram can steer an offence. Defensively, his length allows him to have an impact even before he knuckles down at that end of the floor.

Ingram might just have the most potential of them all. For the Lakers, he's the one they appear intent on keeping the most. However, if parting with him is the sticking point for landing Davis, it's bye, bye, Brandon.

None are close to Davis, but there's a world where Pelicans fans can get excited about this group of young Lakers joining Jrue Holiday, former-Laker Julius Randle, and Nikola Mirotic in New Orleans (although Randle and Mirotic are also available in trade talks as of today).

Selling the idea of hope and potential is the best way forward for the Pelicans front office, and they know it. This group ensures they don't enter a full tank mode while the incoming draft picks, admittedly towards the bottom of the first round, can be used to either draft or trade for other assets.

What's left for the Lakers to run with if a deal gets done?

Reality check: as long as James and Davis are on the floor, who cares?

The pair would be enough to ensure the Lakers are at least relevant in the short to mid-term in the West. We've seen what James can do with sub-par teams already and Davis would be the best teammate he's ever played with. Ever. Including Wade, Bosh and Love.

Davis, in a decidedly average team, is averaging 29.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.6 blocks per game. He's inside the top three in the NBA for points, rebounds and blocks as well as win shares (8.3).

Spearheading the NBA's fourth-ranked offence, the Pelicans play with a 114.2 offensive rating with Davis on the floor compared to 107.8 with him off. Put James beside him and that offensive rating only goes up.

LeBron this morning at the Lakers facility on who they should trade for Anthony Davis pic.twitter.com/VGg4JNE9bv

— Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) January 28, 2019

Like the Lakers did with James, they just need to get Davis in purple and gold and figure the rest out later.

It may cost them every piece of young talent they have, but it's a risk worth taking.

If the Lakers don't throw the kitchen sink at Davis, who will?

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports, the Knicks are preparing a deal that involves Kristaps Porzingis.

For the Knicks, this is a no-brainer. Davis is the better player and is the sort of quality that would help lure Kevin Durant to the franchise this summer.

From a Pelicans perspective, the reward may be better than what the Lakers can offer, but it comes with a greater element of risk. At best, Porzingis is 18 months away from being back at full-strength and there's no way of knowing what that might look like.

Will Porzingis be the unicorn that scored 22.7 points per game shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc while dragging down 6.6 rebounds and blocking 2.4 shots per game before tearing his ACL? Or, will the injury be one that plagues him for the rest of his career?

If the Pelicans can convince the Knicks to throw in their pick which could conceivably turn into Duke's Zion Williamson, it doesn't matter which way Porzingis goes. 

Zion is a more than adequate contingency plan.

However, if it's draft picks the Pelicans are after, Boston will be the first port of call. 

The Pelicans may have to wait until the summer, though.

The Celtics' interest in Davis isn't a secret. They will have been one of the first teams on the phone following the news of the 25-year-olds trade demand. However, the 'Rose Rule' means a deal is unlikely until the off-season.

A player qualifies for a Rose Rule extension on their rookie deal by winning the MVP award or the defensive player of the year award, or by being named to two all-NBA teams.

Both Davis and Irving signed these deals and a team can only trade for one. Because the Celtics have already traded for Irving, they need to wait for him to leave or sign an extension on his current deal before they can trade for another. While Irving claims to want to stay in Boston, he can't sign an extension until July 1st.

The Celtics aren't too high on Davis' list of potential teams at the moment. That may change if Irving re-signs, though.

Regardless, with the Celtics involved, every other team is going to have to send their best offer. Nobody has more assets to move than the Celtics and if the Kawhi Leonard trade to the Raptors tells us anything, it's that teams don't care where a player wants to go. 

Whether Davis ends up in Los Angeles, New York, Boston, or anywhere else, the Pelicans give themselves the best chance at receiving a decent package by waiting for the off-season.

So, where does Davis end up?

That's anybody's guess at the moment. 

The Lakers could be considered favourites right now, but that tag expires with the trade deadline. If they can't manufacture a deal before then and allow the Celtics to get involved, the Lakers could see yet another target end up elsewhere.

Anthony Davis requesting a trade, as @wojespn has reported, gives teams other than Boston a chance to get involved before the trade deadline while Boston can’t because it already traded for Kyrie Irving while on a Rose rule deal. Celtics arguably can offer the best deal for him.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) January 28, 2019

With the Pelicans claiming they aren't in a hurry to orchestrate a deal and intend on having Davis finish the season in New Orleans, possible suitors will have five months to come up with a package to present over the American summer.

It's a move that has the potential to change the landscape of the NBA, but if the Lakers want it to be in their favour, they need to present the best deal they can before February 7th.

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