Wow that was fast. Just when you thought you'd have a few weeks or months to play armchair GM and try to find the magic formula to get Anthony Davis on your team, the New Orleans Pelicans went and pulled off the biggest trade in NBA history. Or was it the Lakers pulling off the biggest trade in NBA history? Those two questions are what make this deal so amazing.
It is incredibly rare for a Hall of Fame talent to be dealt in their prime regardless of sport. Without doing a ton of research, I can think of Khalil Mack, Wayne Gretzky, and James Harden. There have also been many baseball players traded, but these are usually not during a young all-star's prime... unless you happen to be the Miami Marlins (but seriously do they even count?).
Although the jury is still out on the Raiders haul from the Mack trade, it is nearly impossible for a team to "win" or even "tie" a trade when they are giving up a young Hall of Fame level talent. Heck it is incredibly hard to win/tie when you are trading a young all-star (see the return Chicago and then Minnesota got in return for Jimmy Butler). That is what makes the Anthony Davis trade so fascinating.
On its surface, it is the first time I can remember looking at a deal involving a player of this magnitude and thinking, "Huh. I would have made that deal if I were either team." The Lakers side of it is a no-brainer. Anthony Davis is quite simply one of the top 5 players in the entire game. Add the fact that he is only 26 (and does not have a ruptured Achilles tendon) and he may very well be the most valuable asset in the NBA. If the league were to go into NBA 2K mode, reshuffle all the players and conduct a fantasy draft, I'm pretty sure every GM would take Davis number one.
The fact that he will be paired with LeBron is merely icing on the cake. This will fit perfectly in LeBron's perplexing style of play. It has always seemed that LeBron prefers to defer to others more than simply going to the freaking hole and dominating in crunch time. He has always been more Magic Johnson than Michael Jordan. Although Magic is one of the greatest, he needed Worthy and Kareem to carry a huge part of the load. Now when LeBron mysteriously disappears in the fourth quarter of a huge game, Anthony Davis will be able to carry the team. His ability to score from nearly anywhere on the floor, including three point range where he shot 33%, will fit perfectly with James' play making ability. Add Davis' all-defensive team talent to the mix and you have the best 1 -2 punch in the entire league.
Oh and the Lakers aren't done. They can still add one max free agent or several role players. What if that spot were filled with Jimmy Butler? Not only would his newfound douchebag attitude fit right in, he is another defensive stud who can shoot. If he were added to the mix, what team could stand up to them on both ends of the court? No one. Some are saying Kemba Walker is the best fit, but that would take the ball out of LeBron's hands too much. Another option would be simply filling in the roster with as many "3 and d" guys as you can find. Either way, with those two pieces in place, the Lakers deserve to be the favorites for the 2020 title.
The part of the deal that really surprised me is what Pelicans GM David Griffin was able to get in return for Davis. Although it would be impossible to win a deal that involves giving away the most valuable asset in the league, Griffin seems to have come pretty close to a tie. Shockingly, after this deal, the Pelicans will not be a laughing stock. Conversely, they will be one of the most exciting young teams in the league. Although it has nothing to do with this deal, landing the ability to draft Zion Williamson changed everything. Thanks to the hype machine that has been churning for Williamson for at least three years (when he was still in high school) the Pelicans have already replaced the face of the franchise... and perhaps the NBA.
But how about what they actually received in the trade? Griffin landed Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh hart and three first round picks (including the number 4 overall in this years' draft). That is two starters who are incredibly young (Ingram and Ball are each only 21 years old) and have All-Star potential. Ingram shined without LeBron in the lineup. Ball is a pass first point guard who simply did not fit with LeBron dominating the ball. With that 4th pick, the Pelicans could take Texas Tech SG Jarett Culver. Rumor has it that they may turn around and deal that pick for a veteran All-Star. Either way, it has tremendous value.
The other two picks are quite confusing so it is impossible to tell how valuable they will be. Perhaps they can be used in other deals to accelerate the rise to a playoff caliber team. Here's the deal with those two picks according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps:
"The future picks going to the Pelicans include a 2021 pick that will go to New Orleans if it is in the top eight in that year's draft -- and will become an unprotected pick in 2022 if it isn't
In addition, the deal includes a pick swap in 2023, which is unprotected, as well as an unprotected first-round pick in 2024 that the Pelicans will have the right to defer until 2025." Source
By the way, last year when the Lakers signed LeBron, salary cap restrictions forced them to release young PF Julius Randle. Do you remember who snatched him up... the New Orleans Pelicans! Randle averaged 21 points and almost 9 rebounds per game last year. In addition, they also still have Jrue Holiday. In this era of positionless basketball, their starting 5 could look something like this:
Ball
Holiday
Ingram
Randle
Williamson
I don't know about you, but I'd rather be a New Orleans Pelicans fan than a Chicago Bulls fan right now (and maybe even the Golden State Warriors).
Congratulations David Griffin on doing the seemingly impossible. I don’t supposed now that your work there is done you’d like to come and fix the Bulls?