Since coming to the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2019, Anthony Davis has been a polarizing figure among the team’s fan base.
Plenty of Lakers fans love and appreciate him, but there are also many who have been very frustrated with him. Not only does the latter group criticize the big man for being injury-prone, but it also attacks him for what it sees as laziness and softness.
As a result, that group of Lakers fans has been begging the team to trade him since at least last season.
The chances of L.A. even considering a Davis trade seem remote at this point. But if this season were to end in failure and management decided to blow things up, he would be happy if he were sent to the Milwaukee Bucks or Chicago Bulls, according to one Western Conference executive.
A Davis trade would likely mean a LeBron James departure as well
If the Lakers were to actually trade Davis, then James, according to that same executive, would want out, as there wouldn’t be any real point in him playing on what would then be a mediocre or average team.
Via Heavy:
“If Davis can go to Chicago or Milwaukee or somewhere like that, where he would be happy, then LeBron could look to go elsewhere, too,” a Western Conference executive told Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports.
Davis is originally from Chicago, and the Bulls have a decent amount of young talent they could surround him with.
If the superstar big man leaves, one would have to think James’ time in L.A. would be over, especially considering how he seemingly influenced Davis to force his way to the Lakers in the first place.
“He has an obligation to Anthony Davis, and the only way he gets dealt is if Davis gets dealt, too,” the source said. “They do not necessarily have to go to the same place, but LeBron is largely responsible for AD being in Los Angeles and is not going to abandon him there.”
According to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Lakers’ plan is to run it back and give its current roster a shot at being together for a full training camp and regular season, so the anti-Davis faction of their fan base may have to deal with its least-favorite player being around for at least one more year.
