The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers are direct competitors, both rostering superstars seeking to add another championship to their legacy. But could the two teams come together on a blockbuster trade?
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale suggests a potential trade and, despite rumors of the Warriors’ interest in LeBron James during the 2024 offseason, it does not include the four-time champ.
Instead, Favale floated an idea to land Anthony Davis with Golden State.
“If the team doesn’t do anything substantial to improve its immediate chances, Davis should absolutely ask out,” Favale wrote on December 23.
“Sticking around might make sense for LeBron. He’s about to turn 40. He’s won four titles. Bronny James, his son, is on the team. But Davis is 31 going on 32. He has officially entered that weird space where he’s fully in his prime yet the clock is ticking. He should want to play for a contender.”
Lakers get:
- Andrew Wiggins
- Jonathan Kuminga
- Kevon Looney
- 2025 first-round pick,
- 2026 first-round swap
- 2027 first-round pick
- 2028 first-round swap
- 2030 first-round pick (protected Nos. 21 to 30)
Warriors get:
- Anthony Davis
As of December 24, the Lakers sat 0.5 games ahead of the Warriors in the Western Conference standings.
The deal would be swapping one champion for multiple champions. But replacing what Davis provides would be a tall task for the Lakers, whose frontcourt depth is already a question mark before the trade deadline.
Anthony Davis Trade Could Turn Warriors Into ‘Contender,’ Give Lakers Promising Prospect in Jonathan Kuminga
“Landing AD makes the Warriors a contender. He can play in the frontcourt with or without Draymond Green and has the skills necessary to be used outside a traditional pick-and-roll offense. His self-creation isn’t quite on the level of propping up the show without Stephen Curry on the floor, but Golden State should be able to generate enough buckets during those stretches when pairing him with Dennis Schröder.
“Giving up three first-rounders, two swaps, Kuminga and Wiggins will sting. The Warriors’ wing depth, in particular, will be tested. Head coach Steve Kerr will have no choice other than to actually play Moses Moody (I think). You make this deal anyway.”
Notably, the Warriors have kept Kuminga out of previous trade talks despite his sometimes tumultuous relationship with Kerr.
The deadline for an extension for Kuminga passed without a deal, putting his future in question.
Conversely, Jake Fischer wrote for The Stein Line on December 20 that the Warriors offered Moody in a package intended to land Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls, who ultimately traded the All-Defensive star to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Josh Giddey instead.
“Haggle over the number of swaps if you please,” Favale wrote. “Golden State is effectively trying to create its own trade market by targeting a player not readily available. And Kuminga isn’t a star prospect in hiding when he’s slated for restricted free agency. Pick obligations are the draw if the Lakers offload AD and start over.”
Insider’s Intel a Blow to Potential Lakers-Warriors Trade
The Lakers and Warriors have made three trades with one another in NBA history, per Basketball Reference. Their last deal was in 2014 when the Lakers traded Steve Blake to the Warriors for Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks.
Their two other trades both took place in the 90s. If the two teams make a deal this season, it is unlikely to be for Davis (or James, for that matter).
The Athletic’s Jovan Buha reported that the Lakers are expected to be “active buyers.”
“The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to be one of the more active buyers leading into the Feb. 6 trade deadline as they try to maximize the final seasons of the LeBron James–Anthony Davis partnership,” Buha wrote on December 17. “Two players who almost certainly won’t be traded, barring them asking out of Los Angeles, are Davis ($43.2 million [cap hit in 2024]) and James ($48.7 million).”
The Lakers have gone 2-1 since then, while the Warriors are 1-2 in that same span. The two teams will face off for a showdown on Christmas Day that could turn into an audition with the trade deadline drawing near.
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