ESPN’s marquee talent Stephen A. Smith had the unmitigated gall to suggest that the Los Angeles Lakers should rid themselves of LeBron James’ most dynamic and reliable teammate, Anthony Davis.
Smith proffered the audacious idea on his popular “First Take” show on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022, where he said that despite AD’s production, his brittleness makes him a liability that should prompt the Lakers to unload him.
.@stephenasmith says the Lakers HAVE to trade Anthony Davis beyond this season 😳
"His value is his value as a player, but durability is a question mark at age 28." pic.twitter.com/nw5BgowWvm
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 13, 2022
After the Lakers acquired Davis’ services from the Pelicans in 2019, he teamed with King James to deliver the City of Angels an NBA title in 2020, riding on his averages of 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on a 57.1 shooting percentage.
However, there has been a cacophony of chatter since then that despite boasting averages of 24.2 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per contest, AD is extremely injury prone and not reliable to stay healthy in critical games.
AD only played in 36 of the Lakers 72 games last year, and he also sat for more than a month this season due to injuries. Meanwhile, the Lakers are hanging from a precarious perch with a putrid 26-31 record. They are currently ranked ninth in the Western Conference and are in danger of missing out on the playoffs altogether, much less having a chance to win the championship.
What do you think of Smith’s suggestion to move AD out of L.A.?
