Report: Lakers Told Of Major Anthony Davis Issue, Kevin Durant Affected

The Los Angeles Lakers won’t give up on Anthony Davis, but they may be hit with another big challenge. Signing Davis won’t come at a low price, and the whole thing affects Kevin Durant.

ESPN’s Bobby Marks explains that trading for the Pelicans star would cut deeply into the team’s cap space in the search for free agent. Los Angeles made enough space to sign a top free agent. They may try to land Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving and many others. Is Los Angeles strong enough to compete with the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks? Getting Davis won’t be easy, and it will also affect the team’s search for a max free agent.

“Because the Lakers are using cap space as a buffer, their room would be reduced from $36 million to $21 million,” Marks wrote. “Despite the eliminated max slot, the Lakers roster would consist of James, Davis, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Moritz Wagner, Isaac Bonga and $27 million in room to build out the roster in free agency. That cap space would only increase to $30 million if James and Davis are all that’s left on the team.”

Stephen A. Smith believes that Durant shouldn’t go to LA.

“I think Kevin Durant and LeBron James could deliver championships,” he said. “I’m saying it would be the worst thing for Kevin Durant. Why would you be leaving Golden State? Because you want to lead your own franchise and have your own name, reputation. He gave that up when he went to Golden State from Oklahoma City. The belief is that he wants to leave Golden State to create his own path, [because Golden State] is and forever will be Steph Curry’s territory. He [Curry] is the Derek Jeter of the Golden State area, and he’s the equivalent of Alex Rodriguez. As good as he may be, he will never be Steph Curry, the Alex Rodriguez to Derek Jeter. If you’re going to leave from there, why go to a similar situation in L.A.?”

Durant and LeBron added fuel to the fire with the little convo they had during the game between LA and the Golden State. But, Durant didn’t reveal a word about it.

“Everybody wants to know what we’re talking about,” he said. “It wasn’t even that serious. Just laughing and joking and catching up. Everybody is so interested, especially in LeBron. So whoever he talks to, the lipreaders are going to try to figure that out. You guys are infatuated with that whole thing. It’s fun. People try to figure it out.”