Kobe Bryant advises his old team to go for broke in order to land Anthony Davis.
The NBA legend has urged the Los Angeles Lakers to offer the New Orleans Pelicans all or part of their young core in order to facilitate a trade for the superstar center. The Lakers have been hoping to build around LeBron James and youngsters Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, but Bryant in an interview with Spanish newspaper AS published Wednesday described Davis as a generational talent, over whom the franchise should change its strategy.
“Kuzma, Lonzo, Ingram .. are the three of them better than Anthony Davis?” Bryant asked. “No! Ciao! Bye! Anthony Davis is one of the best players in the world, not currently, in history. What are we talking about? If you can trade for Anthony Davis, you do it. If not, alright. We have three players who are very young and work hard. They’re smart and they have to develop. But if you can trade for Anthony Davis … yes.”
Davis requested a trade from the Pelicans in January after informing them he’d opt out of his contract after next season. The Lakers emerged as an early favorite to acquire him prior to the NBA trade deadline, but it passed without him moving.
Lakers owner Jeannie Buss earlier this month dismissed a report claiming the Lakers are open to trading anyone for Davis as “fake news.”
But it’s news Bryant probably welcomed, as he knows better than most what the Lakers must do in order to return to their once-lofty standards.
