Reacts: It’s time for the Lakers to make a trade regardless of Anthony Davis’ injury

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Los Angeles Lakers fans and fans across the country.
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In a bubble, you could understand the Lakers hesitancy in not making a trade after Anthony Davis’ injury. The Lakers were already struggling with him and the expectation was things would only get worse without him.

And, to be fair, things looked bleak initially before the Lakers rallied around LeBron James. A win on Saturday marked the team’s fifth straight win and pulled them to within two games of .500, the closest they’ve been to that mark since early December.

Now, sitting pat no longer seems like the smart thing to do, regardless of the context and Lakers fans agree, as shown in our latest SB Nation Reacts survey.

For clarity’s sake, this poll was also taken before the Lakers’ weekend sweep of the Hawks and Kings, wins that would have only served to further sway fans in favor of making a deal. It certainly prompted LeBron James to further speak his mind about whether the Lakers should make a trade, even if he tried to walk it back.

The fact is, the Lakers are close to being a competitive, playoff team and moving a couple of their typically ineffective players for actual NBA players, ideally wings, could put them over the top. The problem is, the Lakers’ approach to a trade has been “title-contender or bust,” and that trade doesn’t exist.

The Lakers don’t need an All-Star to become a solid contender. The Western Conference is wide open, and the Lakers have useful assets in a number of expiring contracts and draft picks — both first and second rounders — to offer in trades.

The time is now to make a deal, perhaps alleviate some of the burden on Anthony Davis needing to return quickly and allow the Lakers a chance to be the competitive team they look to be.

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