The Los Angeles Lakers are in an interesting predicament where they could win a championship in the near future, or conversely, suffer a descent that could warrant them blowing up their current nucleus.
The Lakers are led by All-Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Both superstar talents led L.A. to a title in 2020 behind exemplary play, but have yet to replicate such success in the years following, with their Western Conference Finals appearance in 2023 being the only time they’ve advanced past the first round of the playoffs since.
The Lakers have not won another title with Davis despite a stacked roster
From a talent perspective, the Lakers have it all — a superstar five-tool MVP four times over in James, arguably the best two-way player in the league in Davis, and a supporting cast of dynamic playmakers that can shoot and perform in the clutch (D’Angelo Russell), stop opposing runs and ignite runs of their own (Austin Reaves) and convert off the catch and the bounce (Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Christian Wood).
Nevertheless, they have fallen short on several occasions, and could see their situation worsen if James decides to retire within the next couple of seasons, which is a real possibility.
Davis’ injury history is cause for the Lakers to have concerns
If that ends up being the case, the Lakers may have to ask themselves if it would be beneficial to move off of Davis. The 31-year-old big man has missed 110 games in the last four seasons. His injury history has not suggested that he can remain healthy consistently as he ages in the league.
On top of his health, Davis also would need to prove that he can lead the Lakers to a deep playoff run — something he has not proven in his career without James, nor dating back to his days spearheading the New Orleans Pelicans. As incredible of a talent as the former 2017 All-Star Game MVP is, the jury is still out on whether he can be the sole leader of a title team.
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The Lakers may have to make a tough decision on an aging Davis despite second-to-none talent
Those are two major question marks surrounding his name. It is known what the Illinois native can do from a qualitative and quantitative standpoint when fully healthy and on his job. He’ll give his team 25-30 points of nightly offense, average a double-double, and assert himself as perhaps the best rim protector in the league.
There is no player in all of basketball that can do everything that Davis does, from scoring proficiently as a lob threat all the way to a three-point shooter, as well as protecting the rim and moving his feet like a guard on the perimeter. Nevertheless, his trade value will decrease considerably if more injuries pile up on his body as he ages.
Plus, the Lakers have him on the books for four more years, where he’ll make an average of roughly $57 million annually. Ultimately, should the Lakers fail to win a championship before James’ contract expires in 2025-26 and they are faced with the reality of having to re-tool around Davis without the former leading their charge alongside him, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka may have to determine if dealing Davis, who will be in his age-34 season by then, would be worth it in exchange for draft capital and promising pieces that can help them execute a proper rebuild.
