The Lakers are hoping for a scenario in which they can add both Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowksi. In an appearance with Scott Van Pelt yesterday, Wojnarowski broke down the latest Davis rumors and said L.A.’s front office has even bigger things in mind.
If the Lakers can acquire Davis before the start of free agency and the Warriors aren’t willing to make a full maximum offer to Thompson, the All-Star guard will think about heading south to form a new Big Three, according to Woj.
“We’ll see what Golden State does there. They’ve got a lot of players to pay going forward,” Wojnarowski said. “They want to re-sign Kevin Durant. They certainly want to re-sign Klay, they’ve got Draymond Green coming up in free agency the following year.”
The Lakers project to have about $36MM in cap space this summer, so they should be considered a serious contender for Thompson if he’s ready to part ways with the Warriors.
There’s more Lakers news to pass along:
- The front office should learn from past mistakes and make an all-out effort to get the Davis deal done, writes Bill Oram of The Athletic. The Lakers had similar opportunities over the past two years with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, two Southern California natives who both expressed a desire to play in L.A., but were cautious and watched them go to other teams. They didn’t want to give up Brandon Ingram in a deal for George, Oram states, and they never put together their best offer to get Leonard from the Spurs.
- LeBron James is getting closer to returning from the groin injury that has sidelined him for more than a month, relays Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. James participated in full-court contact drills this week and hasn’t been ruled out for tonight, although Thursday’s game seems more realistic.
- The Davis trade rumors are a potential distraction for the Lakers’ young players, who are rumored to be part of the package for New Orleans, Youngmisuk notes in the same story. Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart will hear their names mentioned frequently until the Davis situation is resolved. “I think you look on social network and look on everything else, you have all these stories of this player, this player, this player,” Ingram said. “But no one in this room or the players or the coaches or the general manager doesn’t say a word about it. So like I said, we only listen to the important people in this building.”
Its gotta be rough hearing your name in rumors especially with the trade deadline coming up in a little over a week I think it is and with it being for a player that good so you know if your team has a chance to get him they’ll have to give up a lot including yourself. I feel for those guys, no matter how hard they try to avoid it they have to be worrying about it somewhat. Hopefully this is resolved soon so everyone can just move on mentally.
boston’s going for AD and Durant. they’ll trade horford or hayward to the pels and then pels get their choice of players/picks.
No way that AD is going to Boston.
a) they can’t trade for him until the summer
b) he doesn’t want to go there and won’t resign
c) sounds like Kyrie might not resign too
It’s going to be a mess.
So if they get all three they wouldn’t want to stay and play together? Hmmm.
Yea I think Kyrie is out. He’s going to the Knicks, Clippers or Lakers. Maybe I’m wrong, just don’t think he’s gonna stay and I think those are places he may go. Possibly even the Sixers. I think KD is staying at least one more year, get to play in that new arena and then he will be gone. I feel like the Knicks and Clippers have the best shot at him as well and it would be kind blowing if he went back to OKC lol. I have a feeling the Celtics are gonna be a different looking team next year, especially if they don’t go far this year in the playoffs and Kyrie leaves. They might be trying to make some trades and signing some other guys. Maybe they can trade for AD and sign Klay Thompson? I know AD wants to go to the Lakers and will only sign an extension with them but as a Lakers fan I’ve heard that before and it didn’t work out too well lol
OKC is way over the cap and they can’t take on KD’s salary, so maybe you should become familiar with Mr. Trade Machine.
How many times do you need to see teams acquire guys who don’t want to go there before you amend your “no way he goes to Boston!” Opinion?
No don’t want Horford or Hayward at all, they are way less talented than AD and they can’t do anything with AD! Why don’t you understand that.
The Boston deal is gonna involve either Tatum or Brown, several draft picks and salaries to make it match. If NO is getting Tatum and three #1 picks, they’ll gladly take Hayward or Horford to make it work under the cap
You as delusional as it comes lmao. Ainge isnt gonna trade brown and tatum (would require both) for a guy that will walk to lakers in a year. But go ahead and give up everything to have him walk to us for free lol
Like Paul George, right!
Except nobody wants to play for the Lakers. Heck even soft spoken mild mannered klay Thompson has said on numerous occasions he has ZERO interest in playing in LA.
The reason things are leaked now, at a time when Boston can’t trade for him, should make this obvious: AD doesn’t want to go to Boston.
I don’t know why – seems like a team on the rise. But currently the only team that can’t trade for him is Boston. And that means something.
Reports suggest that there is uncertainty around even Kyrie resigning (via SI etc).
Again, I don’t know why Kyrie wouldn’t want to resign. The Celtics can give him the most $, and they have a good young core.
My opinion is that AD would thrive and challenge for championships in Boston. But it seems to me like he doesn’t want to go there, and if he isn’t traded until the offseason and goes to Boston, it sounds like he’ll just be there for the one season.
Plenty of time to change his mind.
Crazy talk. Durant to Boston? Lol
I’d love it if NO traded AD somewhere surprising.
I don’t think they’ll trade him to the Lakers on principle. Lakers will probably offer the best return, but you can’t help them build a dynasty.
Time for Dell Demps to man up.
Lakers can’t offer anything close to the best return. Why would NO be excited about taking back the nucleus of a Laker team that just went 5-10 without LeBron? Not to mention you’d have to pay all of them in the next two years.
Any team offering a chance to be in the top 3 of the ‘19 draft or a potential foundational player would be able to put together a better offer than the Lakers can. Boston and the Knicks, for sure.
Shit, don’t be surprised if Phoenix gets Involved. They can do better than the Lakers. Much better.
Principal doesn’t help with a rebuild, believe it or not lol. They will take the best offer period
Lakers can’t make the best offer
Kuzma > tatum ingram> brown lonzo > rozier hart > smart. Look at basketball ref lmao lakers pieces are better and younger than bostons lol, bostons picks will be top 10 not top 5 and clippers pick will be 20’s maybe higher if they get kawhi. Sorry bud but celtics arent gonna get him with haywards bloated deal lmao
I mean, this makes sense in a vacuum, but have you looked at Dell Demps’ record?
I’d be very, very surprised if AD ends up traded to the Lakers.
I think it makes the most sense and you can probably get the best package from them. But NOP’s front office doesn’t sound like they want to do anything to make AD or LeBron happy.
No team is going to give up assests knowing he won’t resign with them.
Depends on the assets, and the desire for titles. The EC is wide open IMO, and the window could be two years not the usual one.
I can’t see Klay leaving GS, but I can see Draymond being offered less than the max.
The Warriors put up with his drama and know, as good as he is, he’s only really good in their system; very few other teams, with the exception of Portland, would be able to make use of his talent and so I think they’ll maybe try and convince Cousins/Durant to stay and play chicken with Green.
Agreed. Much depends on Klay. If they resign him, I think they try to keep Cousins and let Durant and eventually Green walk.
Klay Thompson is in the top 5 “I hate lebron” list. HE WILL NEVER GO TO LA.. unless lebron leaves.
LOL
Klay is way too chill of a dude to want to deal with LA drama.
There is no drama. Only people who love to make stuff up think theres drama.
Yeah. No drama. The Buss family… no drama… the Ball family debacle, no drama. Since Jerry Buss passed, this organization has become an embarrassment.
What Buss drama? Jim got axed 1 years ago. Anyone who thinks Lavar is a distraction in 2019 is either dumb or a troll
Yes you are…
Please point to any reason in the past 10 months lavar has even been in the news. You cant. Go catch up on your Kardashians
2 years ago*
He’s from LA dude, he knows this town & it’s history. Are you saying there’s no drama in The Bay Area? Next year he & his buddy Nolan Arrenado will both sign with LA teams unless their current teams give them offers they’d be stupid to turn down.
They cant offer Klay and KD a max deal. Lakers will get whoever the odd man out in GS is.
36 million is going to be enough to max out AD and Klay? Hahahahahaha hahahahahahahaha. That’s funny.
AD would be traded for, not signed in free agency. Most of the capspace will remain after a trade with matching salary.
Boston can put together a better package than LA, but for some reason has to wait until the season is over to make a pitch. Pelicans better served to wait on them than take the like of the enigmatic Ingram and the over hyped Ball.
As a Lakers fan I hope they can trade for AD but I don’t think the Pelicans are going to trade him to Lakers. Maybe one team acquires him with immediately trading him to the Lakers but I think the Pelicans are pissed and do not want to help the Lakers out after all this. I mean they are pushing for tampering against the Lakers so I don’t see them handing him over to them. Even if they offer a crazy good package. I don’t think it should matter, if you’re getting good players and picks than trade the guy no matter who it’s too but I don’t know, I don’t see it happening. I hope I’m wrong though.
Klay is not going leave his very comfortable and successful surroundings with the Warriors to go to the Lakers Hollywood Clown Show……He has said more than numerous times about staying at GS.
Only if they Max him. His dad is the Lakers analyst & is on LA talk radio pretty much every weekday. Have you been listening to what he’s been saying about his son? We have
Trade LEBRICK, he’s old and his decline is imminent!