The Lakers and Warriors had drastically different seasons, leading Colin Cowherd to suggest an Anthony Davis for Klay Thompson swap.
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Los Angeles came into the season as title hopefuls. After winning the championship in 2019-20, the Lakers ran it back with relatively the same squad last year, but injuries down the line to Anthony Davis and LeBron James had them grasping at the 8th seed, only to be eliminated by the Suns in the first round.
This offseason, the Lakers went all in for another superstar and traded for Mr. Triple Double himself. Russell Westbrook’s fit in LA was almost immediately questioned, and the questions appeared to be justified as the Lakers got off to a slow start.
They never improved there, however, and ultimately ended up finishing the season on the outside looking in. Anthony Davis and LeBron both dealt with injuries again, but overall, the Lakers’ issues ran deeper than just that.
Meanwhile, the Warriors looked good for a top two seed throughout the entire season, but later on injuries to Draymond Green and Steph Curry, coupled with a Grizzlies surge, dropped them to the third seed. They’re still expected to contend for a title, however.
Colin Cowherd recently gave his thoughts on what both teams could do this offseason, and it involves an incredibly controversial trade between the two.
Would the Lakers and Warriors swap Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson?
What were Cowherd’s exact trade terms?
There are several reasons this trade would probably be declined by both sides. For one, for what Klay Thompson has shown and done (including this season), the Lakers probably don’t need someone like Klay necessarily. They need a ball handler more than anything, someone who could step in and facilitate the offense when LeBron is off the court. Look at how effective Rondo was in the 2019-20 team.
Additionally, the Warriors already have an injury prone team, and bringing in someone like AD who’s played only 76 games the last two years would not fix that issue. Moreover, the Warriors entire identity is built on a starting backcourt that can shoot on you from wherever. It would also outline the shrewd nature of the NBA as Klay has happily sacrificed in the past before to incorporate other stars (KD), and so letting him go would be a big slap in the face.
The trade is a little intriguing to think about, the Warriors finally get a big who can dominate, and the Lakers find a way to make up for their shooting ways. However, as a whole, this trade doesn’t make sense.
