The Los Angeles Lakers season in 2023-24 is in doubt as of this moment. After all, LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, might decide to retire if he wakes up one morning and realizes the team isn’t fit to win championships. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen, but it is still a bittersweet moment for the majority of NBA fans who have followed James throughout his career. No other player from the 2003 NBA Draft is currently playing either, which means LeBron might have surpassed expectations when coming into the NBA as the “Chosen One.”
We can’t ignore the fact that James does have a point in considering his retirement because he has completed two decades in the NBA and has nothing left to prove. The most recent sweep at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals could signify that James might not get a real chance to win the championship. He will be 39 years old next year, which is very old for any player playing professional basketball.
Of course, Anthony Davis cannot be trusted heading into next season as well. Davis has played under 65 games for five straight seasons and he has played at least 60 games once with the Los Angeles Lakers and that came in the 2020 championship season. When Davis plays, the Lakers are a dominant side and a play-in side when he doesn’t. Instead of hoping a 30-year-old magically becomes healthy, perhaps moving on from Davis makes the most sense for the Lakers. Amazingly, moving on from LeBron James might make sense too.
There is a legitimate possibility that the Lakers can create a title contender if they trade both LeBron James and Anthony Davis. While trading arguably two of the ten best players in the world is hardly the best course of action, bringing in a host of talented players could actually make the Lakers better. Here is how the Lakers can create a title contender by trading both LeBron James and Anthony Davis and positioning themselves to win it all next year.
Lakers Trade Anthony Davis To The Celtics
Credit: Fadeaway World
The first step is to trade Anthony Davis to the rival Boston Celtics for a package of All-Star Jaylen Brown, 2022 All-Defensive Team member Robert Williams, and two first-round picks. While a blockbuster deal of this magnitude is rare, it could actually work out for the Lakers and the Celtics as well.
Trade Details
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams, 2024 First-Round Pick, 2025 First-Round Pick
Boston Celtics Receive: Anthony Davis
The Boston Celtics might be interested in trading for Anthony Davis, offering Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams, and two first-round picks. Jaylen Brown is an impactful and talented player who has improved significantly since his rookie season in 2016. A versatile player who can defend multiple positions and is capable of scoring from all over the cour, Brown averaged 26.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, and 3.5 APG while shooting 49.1% from the field and 33.5% from beyond the arc. Adding Brown to the Lakers would give them a new and younger first-scoring option, as well as a solid defender. The 2-time All-Star is only 26 years old, which means he has another seven years at the minimum to be an impactful offensive player every season. He is also more reliable than Anthony Davis.
Meanwhile, Robert Williams is a 6’9″ center who offers athleticism and rim protection. He has shown flashes of potential in his playing time with the Celtics and could develop into an impactful and consistent All-NBA defender as a starter. This season, Williams averaged 8.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 1.4 BPG while shooting an impressive 74.7% from the field. The big man is getting better as he gains more experience, and while he is injury-prone as well, his impact is felt on the defensive end.
The two first-round picks would also be valuable assets for the Lakers, allowing them to continue to build for the future. The Celtics have a history of drafting well, and these picks could offer the Lakers a chance to add more young talent to their roster or package them in a future trade for an established star. No doubt, trading away Davis would be a big gamble for the Lakers. Davis is one of the best players in the NBA and has the ability to dominate both ends of the court, but the Lakers would be receiving valuable assets with Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams, and two first-round picks. The outcome of this trade would ultimately depend on the Lakers’ long-term goals and their confidence in their ability to compete without Davis.
Lakers Trade LeBron James To The Warriors
Credit: Fadeaway World
Trade Details
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga
Golden State Warriors Receive: LeBron James
The second step for the Lakers to win it all next year without their dynamic duo is to consult the Golden State Warriors, the team they beat in the second round of the playoffs. Again, a deal of this magnitude is rare and hardly occurs, but it could happen to boost the Lakers’ title chances next year.
No doubt, the idea of trading LeBron James, a four-time NBA champion and one of the most decorated players in the league’s history, is sure to ruffle feathers among Lakers fans. However, the proposed trade might make sense for the Lakers. First of all, the Lakers would be getting three younger players in return for James, who is currently 38 years old and going on 39. Jordan Poole is a 23-year-old guard who showed promise as a scorer for the Golden State Warriors over the past two seasons. Andrew Wiggins is a 28-year-old forward who has been a consistent two-way player for the Warriors since arriving, averaging 17.1 PPG this season.
Jonathan Kuminga is also a top prospect who was selected seventh overall in the 2021 NBA Draft and has shown potential as a versatile forward. In terms of age and potential, these three players have a lot of upside. Assuming James would agree to the trade, the Lakers would be losing a player who has been the centerpiece of their team since he arrived in 2018 but gaining three new players.
The Lakers could see this as an opportunity to begin a new era for their team. The trade would free up cap space and allow them to build around a younger core and create a new starting lineup. Ultimately, whether or not the Lakers should trade James for Poole, Wiggins, and Kuminga depends on their goals and priorities. If they are looking to keep their future and still compete for a title next year, this trade could make sense. A chance to trade a 39-year-old player for three younger players, including two All-Stars does not come around often, which truly shows the value of LeBron James.
Lakers Can Be Even Better Without LeBron James And Anthony Davis
The Los Angeles Lakers can actually be better without LeBron James and Anthony Davis if they decide to trade them both for new players, including Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Jonathan Kuminga. These are five new players that could all battle for the starting lineup while also improving the team’s depth. Here is what the starting lineup and key bench players look like.
Starting Lineup: Jordan Poole, Austin Reaves, Jaylen Brown, Andrew Wiggins, Robert Williams
Key Bench Players: Jarred Vanderbilt, Jonathan Kuminga, Rui Hachimura, Mo Bamba
This is the case in which the Lakers don’t even retain D’Angelo Russell, who could be let go for free after his horrid postseason (13.3 PPG on 31.0% from three) or involved in a sign-and-trade deal that brings the Lakers some first-round picks. Even if the Lakers do retain D’Angelo Russell, he can replace Jordan Poole in the starting lineup, which bolsters their depth even more, or he becomes the designated 6th man. Either way, the Lakers have a ton of flexibility with the trade that sends LeBron James and Anthony Davis to new teams.
Of course, the Boston Celtics will benefit from pairing Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis while also keeping Marcus Smart and Malcolm Brogdon. This new roster would give Boston some new faces as they might have to move on from Jaylen Brown, who wants to be the man on a new team. Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors can add LeBron James to create a dominant Big Three alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Golden State’s title window is also closing, so they need to win now, so acquiring James alongside two elite shooters makes a ton of sense. LeBron has also spoken in the past about how he would love to play with Curry one day.
Overall, the Lakers can move on from their two older superstars to set up their future and also compete for the title next year. This situation does not come often, but a depth chart that includes Jordan Poole, Austin Reaves, Jaylen Brown, Andrew Wiggins, Robert Williams, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jonathan Kuminga, Rui Hachimura, and Mo Bamba is good enough to challenge in the Western Conference under a budding head coach in Darvin Ham.
