Podcast: Will Anthony Davis be a Laker by draft night?

For as much nerve-wracking and anxiety-inducing emotions that have been created in the past week, there is seemingly no stopping the Anthony Davis to the Lakers hype train at this point. It’s something that both of our podcasts got into extensively this week.

The Silver Screen and Roll Podcast

With every minute and day that passes, there are more juicy new tidbits of reporting suggesting that: 1) the Lakers remain “aggressive” in their pursuit of the superstar big-man, and 2) The Pelicans would “like” to get a deal done by next Thursday’s NBA Draft. That seems to be setting up a potential blockbuster that would send seismic waves through the basketball world if it actually occurs. But the question is — will it?

In the latest episode of the Silver Screen and Roll Podcast, Alex Padilla and myself discuss the likelihood for such a monumental deal to take place within this reported short window of time, and give our current confidence levels in this new regime to tactically execute said deal, and then nail the necessary post-roster construction tasks.

We also revisit the relevant question of if there is a thing as giving up too much in a Davis deal? There has been a reported framework that New Orleans is searching for in a potential swap, which aligns to comments Griffin made on NBA TV back when he was an analyst, where he revealed what his hypothetical ideal return would be if he were empowered to trade Davis.

“If I was holding their cards, I would probably want to be in a situation where I got at least one young player that projected to potentially be a star, draft picks, an elite role player. Somebody that could really further the cause for us as a winner.”

Depending on how Griffin and current Pelicans’ higher-ups view the Lakers’ young core, namely Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, the Lakers seemingly have the closest offer on the market that would check those boxes.

A lot can, and likely will, change from here until the draft night when it comes to a Davis to the Lakers deal. But it will be interesting to see how much Los Angeles is willing to cash their chips in now, or if they have a specific threshold that they think is too much to step over.

You can listen to Alex and myself’s conversation on these, and more topics, in our latest episode found below.

Locked on Lakers

Today’s Locked on Lakers starts with a conversation about fans expecting athletes to play through injury. Yes, Kevin Durant is a grown man capable of making his own decisions, but far too often athletes feel an extra bit of pressure to tough out injuries, leading to some very unfair situations.

From there, Anthony and Pete move on to the implications of Durant’s injury, and they can very quickly create a ripple effect that will be felt throughout the league.

Finally, the guys then discuss the latest rumors surrounding an Anthony Davis trade that feels closer to happening than it ever has before. They give their reasons why it feels so close, as well as how they think the Lakers should handle this situation.

For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow Alex on Twitter at @AlexmRegla.