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NBA trade rumors usually don’t happen just a couple weeks before Christmas, but, when it comes to a big fish superstar like Anthony Davis potentially getting shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers to team up with LeBron James, well, rumors are going to start earlier than normal. And, according to one NBA source, if Anthony Davis lands in LaLa Land alongside King James, the deal would be one of the biggest in league history.
That’s according to Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Heavy.com, who said that he spoke with an NBA source about the trade rumor, which would require some major pieces moving to different teams, and would include the likes of the Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans and Orlando Magic. Additionally, Robinson said that the source told him the Lakers acquiring Anthony Davis could happen “as soon as December 15.”
Lakers per source: “To match salaries, KCP will be dealt. (KCP eligible to be traded after Dec15). If it's a straight-up trade with the Pelicans, Lonzo will be in the deal, but the Lakers will be asking for Elfrid Payton or Ian Clark in return.“ pic.twitter.com/StQ0aihGgQ
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) November 29, 2018
“Any deal for AD, obviously, is going to have to include Brandon Ingram as the principle player being shipped out,” says source…. (1 of 2) pic.twitter.com/t0OBlpU4IW
— 👑 Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) November 29, 2018
Additionally, here’s what else the NBA source told Robinson, via his Heavy report:
An NBA league source shared with me that the Los Angeles Lakers are interested in bringing in Anthony Davis via trade as soon as December 15 and Ball and other key Lakers players Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Brandon Ingram could be part of the move. A potential three-team deal could involve the Lakers, Pelicans and the Orlando Magic.
“If it’s a straight-up trade with the Pelicans, Lonzo will be in the deal,” a league source with Lakers knowledge told me on Thursday. “But the Lakers will be asking for Elfrid Payton or Ian Clark in return.“
It’s no surprise that the Lakers will do everything the can to try and hold onto Lonzo Ball if they have to part ways with Brandon Ingram. However, in order to do so, the league source told Robinson that “that will have to be in a three-team trade scenario for alternative assets.”
Brandon “Scoop” Robinson isn’t the only one reporting that NBA trade rumors are floating Anthony Davis’ name to the Lakers, as longtime NBA writer Chris Sheridan recently said he’s heard the same. In fact, Sheridan says he’s heard that it’s been in the works for years.
I am told that @AntDavis23 to the @Lakers has been in the works for years. That does not mean it is a certainty, because @Celtics can give up much, much more … and it all depends on whether the @PelicansNBA are able to beef up their roster between now and February. https://t.co/nvhGKp52CS
— Chris Sheridan (@sheridanhoops) November 26, 2018
Who knows if this is just one of those fantasy NBA trade rumors that could only actually happen in a video game, or if there’s some seriousness to it happening — not just at some point, but within a couple weeks. One thing’s for sure, though, if the Lakers want to become relevant again, snagging a superstar in his prime like Anthony Davis to put alongside LeBron James is the way to do it. Oh, and don’t even get me started on the possibility of Kevin Durant then joining them as a free agent next summer — which is another rumor that’s been out there lately.
If James is hunting for championships, that’s the sort of the team that can go get him multiple ones. Stay tuned, because the NBA trade rumors are only just beginning.