.jpg)
1 hour ago
3
Although it's only been one game, things aren’t looking promising for the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the postseason.
The Oklahoma City Thunder outplayed the Luka Doncic-less Lakers (hamstring) from start to finish on Tuesday night and secured a series-opening 108-90 home victory. If the Lakers’ playoff run ends in the Western Conference Semifinals, it’s likely the organization will endure a productive offseason.
According to Lakers insider Jovan Buha, one move that could materialize is a trade with the Washington Wizards that would reunite the franchise with a 10-time All-Star big man and NBA champion.
“Theoretically, yes,” Jovan Buha said when asked about a potential Anthony Davis blockbuster trade. “But he’s making so much money … he’s making $62.8 million next year. It is so hard to match that.”
“Could you do something like an Austin (Reaves) sign-and-trade and then create more cap space and absorb AD into that cap space? Technically, yes. You might basically be trading out Austin and Rui (Hachimura) and potentially even Marcus (Smart), depending on how you can finagle the cap space.”
Bringing Davis back to Los Angeles is a captivating yet complicated idea. As Buha noted, Los Angeles would face financial challenges in a hypothetical trade concept due to Davis’ hefty salary, which would arguably be the Lakers’ biggest obstacle.
Additionally, Davis’ health hasn’t improved since his early-2025 departure from the Lakers, as he’s appeared in only 39 regular-season games with the Dallas Mavericks and Wizards due to injuries. Would Los Angeles be comfortable taking a significant gamble on a talented and proven forward who regularly struggles to stay on the floor?
It’s unlikely, but it’s still a concept that’ll likely gain more steam if Los Angeles flames out in playoff round No. 2, and starting center Deandre Ayton continues to be a wildly inconsistent low-post contributor for the franchise.
More NBA news:
English (US)