Experts weigh in on the aftermath of the Anthony Davis trade
The Lakers went all in to get start big man Anthony Davis and in turn gave up their future. The Pelicans on the other hand stacked their players with Lonzo Ball (traded to the Bulls) and Brandon Ingram who shelled into some key pieces for the team while adding Josh Hart (traded to the Blazers in CJ McCollum deal) and four first round picks and swaps.
For now, it seems like the Lakers still won the deal since in just his first season with the team the Lakers won their 15th championship. Since the championship season however, the Lakers have only made the playoffs once and have not passed advanced into the second round (via Jovan Buha, Will Guillory and Mike Prada, The Athletic).
“Now, the Lakers envisioned at least a three- to five-year title window with Davis and LeBron James. It obviously hasn’t played out that way. We’re in Year 4 of the James-Davis Era, and the Lakers have only seriously contended in one of those four seasons.”
The Pelicans on the other hand have flipped their 2019 first round pick to three picks the same season in which they drafted Jaxson Hayes and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (traded to the Blazers in CJ McColllum deal) who have both made a significant impact for the team. Herbert Jones was also added into the mix for the Pelicans who has been an elite defender for the team.
“From the Lakers’ perspective, the championship they won in 2020 will trump any argument that they shouldn’t have gone through with this deal. But we’ve seen AD’s decline. They’ve already handed the Pels two top-10 picks, and they might be on their way to handing them a third after this season. New Orleans also owns one more unprotected Lakers pick in either 2024 or 2025. That’s a tremendous amount of draft equity to give away without feeling like this deal has started to tilt in the Pels’ favor.”
Now the Lakers are stuck in a peculiar situation where they are looking like a bottom team and have given the rights of their pick to the Pelicans. The prize at the end of the season is french big man Victor Wembenyama and the Pelicans have a legit shot of landing him.
The Pelicans have a great young core, but winning a championship will be the only way to solidify if the Pelicans won the trade or not.
