The Los Angeles Lakers are entering a pivotal offseason. After flaming out in the first round of the playoffs, they have to improve their roster this summer to have a chance at contending in the stacked Western Conference.
The problem is the fact that they don’t have the assets to improve the roster to the point of true championship contention. So, does that mean that the Lakers should think more future-focused instead?
That is what Colin Cowherd thinks. On Friday, he had a blockbuster trade idea where the Lakers send Anthony Davis to the OKC Thunder in exchange for Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, and four first-round picks.
Thunder: receive: Anthony Davis
Lakers receive: Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, 4 First-Round Picks@ColinCowherd explains his blockbuster trade proposal pic.twitter.com/2a8wLDOD3d
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 21, 2024
This is obviously an outlandish trade proposal.
Oklahoma City is already a championship contender and was the No. 1 seed last season. They are not going to give up future star Jalen Williams and intriguing young guard Cason Wallace for the 31-year-old Anthony Davis who has a 50% chance to suit up in the playoffs in any given year.
However, if a proposal like this is on the table for the Lakers, they should take it in a heartbeat. This would allow them to build for the future with a young cornerstone in Jalen Williams, multiple first-round picks, and Cason Wallace. If the Lakers are not going to build a championship contender with the assets they currently have, why not aim for a couple of years later?
Unfortunately, this trade proposal is not going to come the Lakers’ way. Even if it did, Rob Pelinka would probably turn it down since LeBron James would not be happy if Los Angeles moved on from Anthony Davis.
Keeping LeBron content makes sense but it’s arguably not the smartest strategy for the Lakers in the long run.
