Will Anthony Davis stay with Lakers? AD and the Lakers’ horrendous season has led to multiple criticisms for the player and the team alike.
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Given Davis spending majority of his time on the doctor’s desk and other superstars like LeBron James also missing time, the Lakers struggled massively in the 2021-22 season.
Not only that, the Purple and Gold had an underwhelming supporting cast this season. While on-paper names like Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard make up a great group, the age definitely showed up in the regular season. Struggling to defend against quicker and younger athletes, the Lakers’ had their worst defensive rating in the last three years.
And the cherry on top of all of these problems was Russell Westbrook. Coming as a third superstar, Brodie was supposed to decrease the load on Bron and AD. Half way into the season, it was pretty apparent that Russ was not the answer, rather left gaping holes in the team. With such a horrendous season, the future looks is very uncertain for the Lakers.
Stephen A.Smith claims Anthony Davis’ value is in an all-time low
The Lakers’ essentially have no young players in their side right now who can be traded. Going into the off-season, this leaves the team with limited options. Trading one of the big three seems to be the logical choice for next season.
Analyst Stephen A.Smith in a recent episode of the First Take recently expressed him opinion on the same. While the veteran analyst was convinced that Lakers’ trading LeBron James might be viable, the same cannot be said for Davis.
Speaking about the big man, Smith claimed that the 6’10” forward’s market value is in an all-time low. “I know for a fact by numerous executives I’ve spoken to, you can’t get but so much value for Anthony Davis because he’s perpetually injured and he’s not reliable healthwise,”
Smith certainly has got a great point here. Apart from his first season with the Lakers, AD has been in the sidelines for majority of the time. Be it him missing time in 2020-21 season or even this season, the Lakers’ struggles without Davis is pretty apparent.
If there is any chance for the Lakers’ to compete next season, it should start with AD’s health. If Davis can finally step up in a talismanic role and along with LBJ, the Purple and Gold might have a small chance for contending next season.
