“LeBron will bail on a friend if he feels they’re declining, Kyrie’s not available, but he’s not declining” - Colin Cowherd believes trading Kyrie Irving for ‘declining’ 1-time NBA champion could be a good move for the LA Lakers
Colin Cowherd speculated about Kyrie Irving being traded for Anthony Davis. An LA Lakers trade of Anthony Davis for Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving would be a good decision, said Cowherd, because AD is "declining." The analyst said Davis' friendship with LeBron James won't guarantee a future in LA.
Cowherd said:
“LeBron will bail on a friend if he feels they’re declining. Kyrie Irving is not declining. He is still the best small finisher in the sport.”
Should the Lakers trade Anthony Davis for Kyrie Irving?
Kyrie Irving and LeBron James spent time together in Cleveland and had developed a relationship, but ultimately the pair split. More recently, however, Irving has spoken about the split and how he has no hard feelings towards James.
The Brooklyn great even mentioned how much success they could have had if they had stayed together. Reminiscence like that sounds a lot like Irving wishes he and LeBron James had played together for longer.
It was reported this week that Brooklyn had reached an impasse with Kyrie Irving regarding his contract situation. The Lakers were mentioned as an interested party should Irving become available. Irving joining LeBron in LA would be dangerous.
But what would LA have to give up? Colin Cowherd and Nick Wright both agree that trading Anthony Davis for Kyrie would be a good move, but could not happen straight up. Wright mentioned adding in Ben Simmons could make the trade work.
Cowherd talked about the differences between Irving and Davis:
“Kyrie is not declining. He had his best 3-point shooting year ever. AD is, look it up, peaked three-four years ago.”
Anthony Davis is fresh off the worst shooting year of his career after he converted just 18.6% of his 3-point shots. Davis was regarded as a reliable deep shooter for his size before this year. However, his injury battles and poor shooting have caused many to question his reliability.
AD’s friendship with LeBron has been the reason most believe Davis would never leave the Lakers, as James would not let that happen. However, James has let it happen time and time again, with many of his friends.
Cowherd said:
“LeBron has bailed on his best friend, D-Wade. Remember D-Wade at the end? He would struggle. He needed like four days rest for his right knee. Chris Bosh — great player, great guy, great friend — he had health issues. LeBron will bail on a friend if he feels they’re declining.”
If James could leave Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh after their stints together, he can ultimately leave anyone. LeBron is in the league to win championships, not make friends. He cherishes his relationships even when his friends become opponents, but he has severed ties with much closer friends before.
Making the switch to Kyrie Irving could be in LeBron’s mind. If he agrees with Cowherd and Wright about Davis' decline, James could be on the fence about the Lakers' future.
LeBron may not have many years left in the league, though he shows no signs of slowing down. Cutting AD for a healthier, more reliable scorer may make the most sense for James to succeed in his last few years in the league.
Instead of worrying about AD’s health, James could focus on working towards another championship. Kyrie Irving's addition to the Lakers would add a level of consistent scoring that the Lakers desperately need alongside James.