If there's one thing that can be taken away from LeBron James' month-long stint on the sideline while nursing a left groin injury, it's that the Los Angeles Lakers could definetley benefit from adding another superstar to their young lineup. According to The Athletic, the team is trying to do just that.
New reports suggest that the Lakers are trying to land a big name player before the Feb. 7 trade deadline. The rumors claim that they are even willing to part ways with young talents like Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball, and Brandon Ingram to finalize a blockbuster deal. A move by Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka would not be very surprising. The Lakers are currently ninth in the Western Conference, and out of the playoffs. James' inability to play for a month has certainly been a major factor, but the team could still unquestionably benefit from another high-caliber scoring option.
The obvious target for the Lakers would be perennial All-Star Anthony Davis. Rumors have been circulating for months about Davis' future potentially being with the purple and gold. LeBron has even given his stamp of approval to the idea of playing with the generational talent. However, Davis isn't necessarily on the New Orleans Pelicans' trading block at the moment. Even if he was, it would likely take a ton of pieces to get a deal done.
Despite what the team's recent woes suggest, the Lakers are still intent on competing for a playoff berth. With the addition of a player like Davis, the team woud become a championship contender seemingly overnight. But a trade for The Brow actually being a viable option at the moment is another story entirely.
"Ideally, the Lakers would be able to land a second star in free agency and keep the core intact," wrote The Athletic's Bill Oram. "However, with Anthony Davis unlikely to become available by the deadline, that particular dilemma may be a moot point this season."
The more likely scenario is the Lakers making a big push for Davis next summer. They could very well make a more minor move to pick up a solid shooter in the coming weeks, with names like Trevor Ariza and Terrence Ross having been floated around. But don't expect to see another household name playing alongside King James in the immediate future.
