Anthony Davis injury could give Lakers trade leverage

On Dec 23, 2022

The Los Angeles Lakers will be without superstar big man Anthony Davis for a while, and although no exact description or timetable has been given in regards to his injury, the team and its fans are bracing for the worst.

There is a train of thought that if Davis’ injury ends up being particularly severe, it won’t make sense for the Lakers to make a midseason trade, especially if it would involve giving future draft picks since their season would be unsalvageable in that scenario.

But one NBA executive actually thinks Davis being out could help the team in potential trade talks by giving it a sort of leverage it hasn’t had.

Via Lakers Daily:

“According to a recent report, Davis’ injury could actually end up giving the Lakers some much-needed leverage in trade discussions as the Feb. 9 trade deadline fast approaches.

“‘Another rival said that if negotiated properly, he felt the Davis injury could actually help the Lakers’ position in trade talks,’ Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times wrote. ‘The team’s sought leverage in talks since the summer, with much of the league viewing them as ‘desperate’ to make some kind of trade.

“‘That, plus the early-season timing of any talks, has kept the asking price really high. This executive thought a Davis injury of any real severity would give the Lakers leverage they haven’t had since the summer by giving them a very real reason to shut down talks and focus on the offseason.’”

The Lakers have had many rumored trade targets, including Detroit Pistons sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic and Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers.

If Davis’ injury is on the less severe side and he doesn’t miss too much time, there is an argument to be made that the team should still be aggressive in going after those one or two pieces that could make it a championship contender when fully healthy.