Stephen A. Smith reckons LA Lakers' best option is to trade LeBron James and Anthony Davis: “This is a sinking ship, it’s not going to elevate, it’s the Titanic”
The LA Lakers' dismal start to the season has everyone pondering whether they should trade LeBron James and Anthony Davis to enter a rebuild. ESPN's Stephen A. Smith believes they should move on from the two superstars. Smith thinks the Lakers have no way out of their current situation.
They don't have the assets to improve their roster, so it may be time for them to consider their future by going in a new direction. During a recent episode of ESPN's First Take, Smith weighed in on the idea.
"The Lakers ain't going nowhere. If you want to think about the future and you only got first-round picks in 27' and 29'... They ain't gonna do it, we know it, but I got to be honest with you, LeBron has still got extreme value because he's box office.
"Anthony Davis... Obviously his durability is a huge question mark, not his game, that ain't going no damn where...This is a sinking ship, it's not going to elevate, it's the titanic. It's slowly but surely going, but it's going down. Ain't no upward swing with the roster they got available y'all."
The LA Lakers are off to a 2-8 start. The roster isn't well constructed, as the Lakers don't have a reliable backup big, efficient 3-point shooters and size in their frontcourt. They didn't have the cap space to acquire marquee free agents or contributing role players and they don't have the assets to make moves via trade, either.
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LeBron James and Anthony Davis trades could help LA Lakers recoup assets to rebuild
The LA Lakers only have two first-round picks at their disposal after trading most of their draft capital in a deal to acquire Anthony Davis in 2019. With their current roster, the Lakers look like a 10th-seed play-in tournament team at best.
As Stephen A. Smith hinted, trading their superstars like LeBron James and Davis is a possibility that needs to be considered. James remains a hot commodity due to his global popularity and decent production in year 20. Meanwhile, aside from his health issues, Davis is arguably one of the top three two-way players in the league.
Both players could help the Lakers secure young players and picks who could help them rebuild for the future. However, the Lakers might want to see how this season shapes out before the trade deadline. Many teams could become sellers as the deadline nears, keeping the Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson sweepstakes.
Also read: Stephen A. Smith doesn't think LA Lakers will turn their season around: "Keyshawn Johnson... He is lying to the American public"
The LA Lakers must try and hold onto their 2027 and 2029 firsts and add pieces that fit next to their big three. If they succeed, it wouldn't be a bad idea to invest another season into making a push to return to championship contention.