Winners and Losers of the Anthony Davis to Los Angeles Lakers trade
After months of speculation, people losing their jobs, team chemistry going down the drain, it has finally happened and the biggest trade saga in recent history has finally come to an end. Anthony Davis has been traded by the New Orleans Pelicans to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The New Orleans Pelicans received Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and 3 first round draft picks, including the 2019 #4 draft pick for Anthony Davis, essentially rebuilding their team on the fly.
They now have 3 first round draft picks who have already gone through the rigours of the NBA and will be ready to contribute alongside the new face of the Pelicans when they draft Zion Williamson at #1 in the 2019 Draft.
With the saga finally coming to an end, here are the 5 winners and losers from this blockbuster trade:
Winner: The New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans definitely came out as winners in this deal as they get to rebuild on the fly with some great young stars at their disposal and even managed to get 3 first year draft picks from the deal for Anthony Davis.
They now have an impossibly high ceiling for their roster, including a defensively superb backcourt pairing of Lonzo Ball and Jrue Holiday, with potential highlight reel dunk lobs from Lonzo and Jrue to their future addition of Zion Williamson, who is already a foregone #1 pick.
Brandon Ingram, with his blood clot injury aside, is one of the most exciting young players the Lakers have sent over to the Pelicans and Josh Hart was slowly developing into a defensive shooting guard that can become a key part of their rotation in the future.
Not to mention that the Pelicans are looking to trade the #4 pick for even more returns to make this deal even sweeter for the Pelicans. They have definitely come out on the top and have a team that will be ready for the playoffs as early as next season.