“Take over the reins of the Lakers when LeBron leaves” – Former NBA player is open to trading Anthony Davis and LeBron James basis their current stature on team
Jim Jackson is open to the idea of the LA Lakers trading Anthony Davis, albeit conditionally. The Lakers are one of the premier franchises in the NBA. That is why even with a 3-10 record, the team is a major topic of discussion. Jackson was on the “Dan Patrick Show” and there was a discussion on what moves needed to be made to fix the Lakers roster.
Patrick asked Jackson if he would he be open to trading Anthony Davis. Jackson stated that he would be open to the idea conditionally:
"I would be open to it. It would depend on who I can identify to get into a position to take over the reins of the Lakers when LeBron leaves, because that was the purpose of getting Anthony Davis anyway."
Jackson is correct in his assertion that the player the Lakers would receive in exchange for Davis has to be capable of being the face of the franchise when LeBron James either retires or leaves via free agency.
Davis is an eight-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection and was named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team. He was expected to be the leader of the franchise by now and James would have taken a backseat.
dpshow: Should the #Lakers entertain the idea of trading Anthony Davis? (@JimJackson419)
Jim's full appearance: youtube.com/watch?v=dpK5Hg… https://t.co/VBSOuUCgba
The way Davis played in the Lakers' last game against the Brooklyn Nets is what the fans and organization expect from him going forward. With LeBron James out due to an injury, Anthony Davis led the Lakers to a 116-103 win over the Nets. Davis was dominant in the game scoring 37 points and grabbing 18 rebounds.
The Lakers are unlikely to find a player of the caliber of Davis in the trade market. Moving Davis now would signal a rebuild and not a push for something greater.
Will Anthony Davis be able to continue Lakers tradition?
The LA Lakers have been one of the two greatest franchises in NBA history with their ability to reload and rebuild. The team has been great at acquiring superstars and moving from one era to the next. They have rarely been seen at the bottom of the league and have found ways to win championships over time.
Anthony Davis has all the talent to be an all-time great. He is currently playing alongside an aging all-time great in LeBron James. The expectation is that Davis will take over the reins of the team. That would extend LeBron’s career and when he leaves, the franchise would still be in a position to compete.
The Lakers have seen this before with Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Jabbar was one of the top players in the league during his time with the Lakers. As the team went into the mid-1980s, then-coach Pat Riley decided that the team needed to be handed over to Magic Johnson. It could be argued that Kareem slid to the third option with the addition of James Worthy.
The Lakers later had hopes of doing this with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Although it didn’t exactly workout the way the Lakers planned, the team did transition from O’Neal to Bryant and the organization won two more championships after that. Can Davis lead the next great Laker bridge?