The 2019 NBA offseason has not disappointed.
It technically hasn’t even started, with free agency and the NBA Draft still on the horizon. But the Anthony Davis trade may prove to be the most impactful move of the summer. The star is headed to the Los Angeles Lakers to team up with LeBron James. The New Orleans Pelicans received Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, the 2019 No. 4 overall pick and two more first-round picks.
The blockbuster left the Lakers with just six players but a tremendous amount of hope for next season. The Pelicans, meanwhile, will be one of the most compelling teams — even if they’re not a winning team — in 2019. Their young core should include the Lakers’ package of picks and players along with future No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson and Jrue Holliday.
The impact of this trade is staggering. Let’s look at the biggest winners and losers.
Winners
LeBron James & Anthony Davis: Forget the fact that the Lakers only have six players and could be in an uncomfortable place financially. James is going to feed Davis — Davis is going to feed LeBron. This is going to be beautiful. They are both coming off 2018 seasons when they had zero star support. The 2019-20 season should be markedly different for LeBron and Davis. They will love playing with each other.
A LeBron vs. Bronny matchup: If Davis and LeBron work well together in L.A., “The Brow” could add two or three years onto the end of LeBron’s career. It would be absolutely insane if LeBron stuck around long enough to play against his son. But if the NBA abolishes the one-and-done rule and again allows 18-year-olds to play in the league, LeBron James Jr. is four years away. So you’re saying there’s a chance?
AP Photo/Nell Redmond
Kemba Walker: The Lakers will likely pursue a third star in free agency, even if the NBA Finals featured injuries to two of the biggest pending free agents. Kevin Durant (Achilles tear) and Klay Thompson (ACL tear) could miss all of next season, which will complicate their potential free agency. Kyrie Irving seems to be sold on the Nets, though he is open to the idea of the Lakers, according to The Athletic. And Kawhi Leonard has been cryptic about his intentions for the coming offseason after winning the NBA Finals with the Toronto Raptors. Essentially, the free agency field could shrink quickly, and Walker might be a player who the Lakers come to covet. It would be tremendously fun to see Walker get a chance to enter a big market, while surrounded by two of the NBA’s biggest stars.
2020 free agency: The stakes couldn’t be higher for the Lakers after next season. Their wager on Davis could become tremendously problematic if the star center departs in free agency. It’s already compelling for Davis to hit the open market (if the Lakers and Davis don’t agree on an extension). But the Davis’ departure might make the Lakers’ trade one of the worst and most one-sided transactions in NBA history.
Magic Johnson: Thank goodness he was able to tweet about this freely. That’s why he quit, right?
Kyle Kuzma: Ball, Ingram and Hart may get to play with Williamson next season. And the Pelicans will no doubt be a fun team to watch. But Kuzma is playing with LeBron and Davis for the Lakers in L.A. He played this situation to perfection, applying maturity and professionalism in a toxic environment. As a result, he’ll be a major contributor on a team that should be an NBA Finals contender.
Kobe-Shaq golden agers: Without a doubt, LeBron and Davis will have a style of play that’s different than that of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. But the Lakers will have a devastating combination of star power, just like they did in late 1990s and early 2000s. If Lakers fans are lucky, these next few years could be reminiscent of 1999 to 2002 when L.A. three-peated.
Losers
The Celtics: There was so much hope for Boston at the start of the 2017-18 season. Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving, Al Horford and a gang of youngsters were ready to challenge LeBron James in the East. It feels so long ago.
What followed: Hayward’s devastating injury, Irving’s chronic knee issues, underwhelming moments from Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, an unimpressive return of Hayward, chemistry issues and a disappointing run in the 2019 NBA Playoffs. The Celtics had an obvious lack of chemistry on and off the court last season, and it’s hardly surprising Irving is ready to leave. But for months, Celtics fans could take some solace in the fact that 1) the Lakers were more dysfunctional and 2) Davis was still available. Now, optimism is probably fading in Boston. The Celtics were in the mix for Davis, and offered a handful of young players, according to ESPN. Without him, the Celtics are listing in a developmental middle ground with nothing to show for their failed assembly of Irving, Hayward and Horford.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Anyone in L.A. who is thinking about the Dwight Howard trade or the Paul Piece-Kevin Garnett blockbuster: Davis isn’t going to leave in free agency in 2020, right? Davis isn’t going to flop like these past trades. Right? The Davis trade won’t be a huge waste of draft capital and an endless mockery for years to come. . . Right?! In the NBA, teams tend to acquire stars at any cost. And they get praised for it. But it’s fair to say that this deal feels like when the Celtics bailed on Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett for the Nets’ endless treasure trove of assets — or when the Lakers gave up an arm and a leg for Dwight Howard. The Lakers could lose big. Folks in L.A. should fear this historical context.
Dell Demps: He lost his job because he couldn’t complete this deal — or any deal involving Davis. New Orleans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin made it look easy, fleecing the Lakers of a tremendous amount of resources.
Rob Pelinka: This move stinks of desperation by the Lakers general manager. It’s the kind of make-or-break move that will either preserve or terminate his position with L.A. Yes, he got Davis, one of the NBA’s brightest and most talented stars. But here’s a totally realistic scenario: Davis misses the second half of next season with an injury, the Lakers implode (again) and Davis leaves in free agency. What then?
