Proposed Blockbuster Trade Gives Lakers a New $146 Million Superstar 

NBA analysts discussed another blockbuster trade involving the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat. The franchise can get a few new players and Kyrie Irving was definitely the hottest topic. Although Irving’s negotiations with the Brooklyn Nets got stuck in the middle of nowhere, people still talk about his potential deal with the Lakers.

Irving is not the only topic though. Now we have Bill Simmons saying that Rob Pelinka should trade Anthony Davis for Jimmy Buttler.

Davis missed a lot of time due to injuries. He helped the Lakers win a title, but his absence pushed the Lakers into an uncomfortable position. LeBron James has strong bond with Davis. Will he even support this? Will Jeanie Buss trade her superstar?

“But I know that Jimmy Butler, who is 15th on this list [later moved up to No. 13], who is proven himself to be one of the better big game guys of this generation,” the analyst noted during a July 11, 2022 episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast.” “And if the Lakers called Miami up and said, ‘We’ll give you Anthony Davis for Jimmy Butler.’ Miami is either doing it or they’re having a seven-hour meeting before they decide not to do it, but I just think they would do it. If they can turn Jimmy Butler into Anthony Davis, I think they do it.

“…It’s a little different for about two seconds until they think about, ‘Wow, we could have Bam [Adebayo] and Anthony Davis together. We’re doing this.’”

Will Jeanie Buss add this blockbuster trade to the Lakers plan for the upcoming season?

Here’s a catch. Davis is a Klutch Sports client which makes things difficult for Buss and the franchise. Sean Deveney from Heavy.com believes that Davis’ value is still high despite his injuries.

“If they put Anthony Davis on the market now, at age 29, they’d be looking at something around what the Jazz got (for Rudy Gobert), probably a better up-front player if that is what they want,” the NBA front office member explained. “If they want the four or five first-rounders, they’d get that.

“Now, it is not going to be what they gave up for him, all the picks and Brandon Ingram and Lonzo (Ball), Josh Hart, all of that. But it would be one of the 10 biggest packages you get. I know Davis has been hurt and that is going to turn down his value but everyone is going to look at him and think, ‘Okay, we can keep him healthy, he’ll play for us.’ That’s what is going to matter.”