The Lakers would like to keep both picks to pursue a third superstar next summer. Their superstars would like to see them trade both picks for more size and shooting. The logical compromise could be a one-pick trade.
Let’s be clear from the start, the Los Angeles Lakers are not going to write off this season and cause irrevocable damage to their long-term alliance with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Rich Paul, and Klutch Sports Group.
Those hoping this would signal the unraveling of the relationship between the Lakers and LeBron James will be as disappointed as failed suitors who were hoping the secret love-of-their-lives was going to ask for a divorce.
The Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James are essentially a married couple. LeBron is going to retire in purple and gold and the Lakers are going to honor him with the same royal treatment as Kobe Bryant.
While there’s a conflict over whether or not to trade the picks, the partners will simply work out a compromise to keep everybody happy and the marriage intact, which is exactly what’s probably going to happen here.
Here are five reasons why LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers must reach a compromise that will enable the front office keep one of the two picks as a future trading chip but trade the other to upgrade the roster.
Reason 1: LeBron James’ Recent Play!
LeBron James’ recent MVP level play and season long display of athleticism never before seen by a 38-year old NBA player confirms Dennis Schröder’s comments that James believes he could actually play until he’s 45-years old.
Lakers VPBO Rob Pelinka specifically promised LeBron James the Lakers would do everything they could, including trading the two picks, to give the King a legitimate opportunity to win another championship this season.
While a promise is a promise, injuries to Davis and James have changed the landscape and it’s not unreasonable for Pelinka and the Lakers to want to keep draft capital this summer. Agreeing to trade one pick seems logical.
It’s one thing for the Los Angeles Lakers to consider tearing this team down, trading their superstars, and completely rebuilding if LeBron James were on his last legs and Anthony Davis was unable stay on the court.
But it’s lunacy to do this when LeBron James at 38-years old is playing at an elite MVP level and all signs appear to signal that he’s going to be the NBA’s version of Tom Brady, who can still be an impactful superstar at age 45.
The Lakers and LeBron would be fools not to recognize he still has multiple seasons of All-Star level play and multiple potential championships in his bag and saving one pick to give them two picks this summer is important.
Reason 2: Anthony Davis’ Recent Play!
While LeBron pummeled Father Time with a pair of 40-point games, let’s not forget the good news that Anthony Davis worrisome foot injury is now rapidly healing with AD’s return projected sometime in mid January.
The latest news was Davis was scheduled for an MRI when the team got back from the road trip that just ended on Monday. Hopefully, that MRI will look good and Davis can start ramping up to return the court in January.
Needless to say, LeBron will have to continue to carry the load for the Lakers until Anthony Davis returns. Hopefully, that will be the middle of January when the Lakers will have been able to even their record at .500.
Frankly, the prospect of a Lakers team with a healthy, motivated LeBron James still dominating Father Time and a healthy, driven Anthony Davis playing like the MVP and DPOY is a nightmare for the rest of the NBA.
We know how important time off was to Anthony Davis’s great play in the bubble so having him get a month off in the middle of the season could be a bonus for the Lakers as he will be fresher and healthier for playoffs.
Now that Anthony Davis has shown he can take the torch from LeBron James as the best player on the planet, the Lakers need to agree to a compromise one-pick trade to give James and Davis a shot at #18.
Reason 3: The West Is Wide Open!
The third reason the Lakers and LeBron need to agree to a compromise one-pick trade is the West is wide open and 13th seed Los Angeles is only 1 loss away from the Play-In Tournament and 3 losses from the playoffs.
Assuming LeBron James and the Lakers can improve their record to close to .500 by the middle of January and get a healthy Anthony Davis back near the same time, they should still have a realistic shot at making the playoffs.
LeBron has the 16–21 Lakers on a 2-game win streak with 6 games left through January 15th: Miami and Atlanta at home, then Sacramento and Denver on the road, followed by Dallas and Philadelphia at home.
Assuming the LeBron James can carry the Lakers over the next 6 games and Anthony Davis will be back close to the middle of January, the Lakers could find themselves in perfect position for a stretch run on January 15.
With or without a trade, the Lakers will hopefully have enough firepower with AD back to start moving up the standings, passing teams in the Play-In Tournament until they lock up a spot among the Top-6 teams in the West.
Ultimately, the Lakers are likely at this point to wait until the last minute to make their compromise one-pick trade hoping they will be able to get a better return for one pick by waiting until January 115 trade deadline.
Reason 4: The Pelicans’ Pick Swap!
The fourth reason the Lakers and LeBron need to work out a one-pick trade compromise is the Lakers may owe their 2023 first round draft pick to the New Orleans Pelicans due to a pick swap from the Anthony Davis trade.
Were the season to end today, the Lakers would be tied with the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors for the 7th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft while the New Orleans Pelicans are projected to have the 24th pick in the draft.
In that scenario, the Pelicans would swap picks with the Lakers, getting the #7 pick and a 26% chance of a Top-4 pick while the Lakers would pick #24. The Lakers would love to move up to the Top-6 to limit the Pelicans’ pick.
The irony of the looming Pelicans’ 2023 pick swap resulting in the Lakers missing out on a generational talent has contributed to Pelinka’s reluctance to give up L.A.’s 2027 and 2029 first round draft picks without protection.
It almost seems as if Rob Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office has lost their confidence and are almost as afraid of making another monumental mistake that could cost the Lakers another decade of lottery basketball.
The very last thing the Los Angeles Lakers want to happen is to finish so low that the New Orleans Pelicans end up winning the rights to draft Victor Wembanyama. Compromising on a one-pick trade would help prevent that.
Reason 5: The Celtics Threat to #18!
Just like the Pelicans’ pick swap, the Boston Celtics emergence as potential favorites to win the 2023 NBA championship should be strong motivation for the Los Angeles Lakers to make a one-pick swap for a shot to win #18.
The Lakers 2020 Championship in the bubble finally enabled Los Angeles to pull even with the Boston Celtics as the only NBA teams who have won 17 championships. Allowing the Celtics to get to #18 first is unacceptable.
With LeBron James still dominant and Anthony Davis playing like the MVP, the Lakers cannot cede the 2023 NBA championship to the Boston Celtics. They need a one-pick trade to upgrade their starting lineup and rotation.
Even adding a single elite player like Bojan Bogdanovic or O.G. Anunoby could dramatically improve the quality of the Lakers roster and allow L.A. to surround James and Davis with more size, shooting, and defense.
Ideally, the matchup the basketball world wants to see in the 2023 NBA Finals is the Los Angeles Lakers against the Boston Celtics, with the winner becoming the only team in the league with 18 NBA championships.
The Lakers need to pull off a blockbuster one-pick trade to upgrade their starting lineup and rotation and give a dominant LeBron James and MVP level Anthony Davis a chance to beat the Celtics head-to-head for #18.
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