3 trade packages to get Anthony Davis to the Lakers

Right now, as I am typing this, the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans are trying to work out a trade for Anthony Davis. While it seems as though the two sides are close on a deal, they’re still ironing out a few details — details that could result in the whole deal falling apart.

Not to worry! I’ve taken the liberty of putting together a few trade packages for both teams to consider. You know, to save time. I did my best to keep them realistic as possible, but as always, I look forward to your unconditional love and support for these not at all controversial or subjective trade proposals.

Bradley Beal goes to Bourbon Street

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LAL get: Anthony Davis

WAS get: Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, No. 4 pick, Solomon Hill

NOP get: Bradley Beal, Moritz Wagner, 2022 first-round pick

After landing the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Pelicans are set up nicely for life after Anthony Davis and, most importantly, a rebuild. However, it doesn’t seem like David Griffin is ready to push the reset button just yet.

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Pelicans are shopping the No. 4 pick in hopes of landing an All-Star caliber player in return. One name that could probably be had for the right price is Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal.

The Wizards made Beal, along with everyone on their roster, available in November and after underwhelming with their current core for the past few seasons, it might finally be time for Washington to blow it up. They took their first step towards doing that when they traded Otto Porter to the Chicago Bulls in February, and while they’d surely like to get off of John Wall’s colossal contract, Beal is a more realistic option to jettison.

Would the Wizards accept a deal that would help them replenish their wing depth, add a top-five pick to their roster and keep Beal out of the Eastern Conference? It’s certainly possible.

LaValley of the Sun gets a Big Baller

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LAL get: Anthony Davis

PHX get: Lonzo Ball, Solomon Hill

NOP get: Brandon Ingram, T.J. Warren, Mortiz Wagner, No. 4 pick, No. 6 pick, top-five protected future first-round pick (via PHX)

David Griffin wants an All-Star back in an Anthony Davis trade. I want to be able to eat pizza without gaining weight. We can’t all have what we want.

That being said, if the Pelicans are adamant about getting a third team involved and getting more assets, then the Lakers will still have to get a third team involved. Could that team be the Phoenix Suns?

The Suns have expressed interest in Lonzo Ball in the past and they’re still looking for a starting caliber point guard to pair with Devin Booker. While the No. 6 pick alone might not be enough to get Ball out of Los Angeles, a rotation player in Warren and an additional first-round pick might be enough for the Pelicans to part with Davis. If necessary, the Lakers could include Hart to the deal and it wouldn’t be detrimental to the team.

The Godfather offer

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LAL get: Anthony Davis

NOP get: Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, No. 4 pick

When the Lakers offered nearly their entire roster for Anthony Davis at the trade deadline in February, they were still in contention for a playoff spot and were hell-bent on securing one. This time around, they don’t need to surrender everyone to pair LeBron James with Davis, nor should they.

While the subject is obviously open to interpretation, a trade package for Davis — generally speaking — should include:

1. Two of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and the No. 4 pick
2. One of Kyle Kuzma or Josh Hart
3. One of Moritz Wagner or Isaac Bonga

If that doesn’t get it done, they could up the ante by including an additional piece from category two or three, but any more than that would be an overpay from the Lakers’ standpoint. Perhaps things would be different if the Boston Celtics or a dark-horse team was offering more, but it doesn’t seem like that’s the case yet.

Would it be awesome to see James and Davis dominate the Western Conference for the next couple of years? Of course, but the Lakers have to be smart about the way they go about it, too.

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