After the Lakers won the championship in the 2019-20 season, they signed a five-year, $190 million contract extension with Davis. The Lakers originally thought that Davis would become the core of the team, and let James assist him and be Pippen beside him. Although James is the number one player in the league, he is old after all, so he is willing to assist Davis.
However, Davis' performance in the past two years has been far below expectations, and there is a big gap between people's expectations for him, so the Lakers are also eager to seek changes. What the Lakers hope most is, of course, to trade Westbrook . However, due to Westbrook's poor performance, the transaction value has fallen to the bottom. The Lakers will be very disadvantaged by trading Westbrook at this time. Even the Rockets traded Wall for Westbrook, requiring the Lakers to use the draft pick.
James is the foundation of the Lakers, and it is impossible for the Lakers to trade him. Once the Lakers trade James, it will be tantamount to rebuilding. Under such circumstances, the Lakers can only keep Westbrook and try to trade Davis to change their lineup. There is no other way. If they don't do this, there will be no hope for the Lakers' future.
According to a report from the American media "Lakers Daily", quoted from ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers are preparing to use Davis as a bargaining chip in a 1-for-3 trade to acquire Warriors 's Drummond. De Green, , Jordan Poole, and Kuminga.
Lakers new coach Ham said in an interview that Westbrook has accepted his challenge and will become a qualified defensive player next season. On the other hand, Davis did not work hard after a failed season. He was addicted to games and even joined a game team. It would be a good idea for the Lakers to keep Westbrook and trade Davis.
Although the Warriors won the championship this season, it can also be seen that the Warriors were somewhat lucky to win the championship this season because they did not encounter a strong team on the way to the championship, including the Nuggets and the Grizzlies. , the Eastern Conference Bucks and Heat were forced out due to injuries. These teams all have the strength to prevent the Warriors from defending their title next season. Therefore, in order to win two consecutive championships, the Warriors must bear the pain and continue to strengthen their lineup. Davis is undoubtedly the player that the Warriors most hope to acquire. He is a perfect match for and , the splash brothers.
The Warriors' weakness is the inside line, but with the arrival of Davis, the Warriors will be invulnerable, and Curry has the opportunity to create a new dynasty. And Green has long been not that important to the Warriors. If Davis can come, Green will have no position, so trading him is what everyone expects. Although Kuminga has potential, it is difficult for him to grow up because of the presence of Wiggins . Poole 's performance this season is at a quasi-All-Star level, but he is about to renew his contract, and the salary of the Warriors lineup is already very high, so he must save money. Therefore, it is better to trade Poole out and let him pursue his own big contract.
For the Lakers, it is true that only trading Davis can turn things around. The exchange for Westbrook during last offseason proved to be a failure. If nothing is done during the offseason, the Lakers will continue to fail next season. By trading Davis, the Lakers can gain immediate strength and the future. While James is still at his peak, the Lakers can continue to compete for the championship. In any case, changing the lineup is better than maintaining the status quo. This is a trade that will not lose money. Even if they fail, the Lakers still have a future, because Kuminga and Poole are still young and can become the future of the Lakers.
