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Los Angeles Lakers get it done, trade for Anthony Davis

By Jamaal Artis

DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 18: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans walks off the court against the Dallas Mavericks in the first half at American Airlines Center on March 18, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 18: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans walks off the court against the Dallas Mavericks in the first half at American Airlines Center on March 18, 2019 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Lakers have done it, the team has accomplished its goal of fielding two superstars and got a trade done for Anthony Davis.

In an afternoon bombshell, ESPN basketball reporter Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Los Angeles Lakers have traded for superstar center Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans.

The first reported details say that the Lakers will send Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round draft picks, including the number four pick in the 2019 draft.

This pairs Davis with LeBron James and the Lakers will keep Kyle Kuzma of their core young players and retain a significant amount of salary cap space to acquire a free agent this summer.

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This deal culminates a six-month ordeal as the Lakers, while still being lead by Magic Johnson, tried to acquire Davis before the February trade deadline. When the deal wasn’t done it caused a rift in the Lakers locker room around those players rumored to be traded and the front office.

It is thought that it’s one of the reasons the Lakers failed to make the playoffs along with significant injuries.

Now, with the deal done, James has a significant superstar to be paired with and possibly the most dominant big man in the game. In his seven NBA seasons, Davis has averaged 23.7 pts, 10.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. Davis is six-time all-star, three-time first team All-NBA, and three-time All-Defensive player.

At 26, Davis is in the prime of his career and represents the future of the Lakers, if the team can sign a significant free agent then the Lakers will be secure for the future when LeBron retires.

With the injuries to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson during the NBA Finals, the Western Conference is as wide open as it has been in years. The Lakers now have two superstars to help them contend in the upper echelon of the West.

This is a significant move for Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, who has been under fire since the sudden resignation of Magic Johnson and the exposure of turmoil in the Lakers front office.

It is up to him now to recruit another player to pair with the awesome presence of James and Davis. He must also be smart with rounding out the rest of the roster as Lakers look to end their unprecedented six-year absence from the NBA playoffs.

This is also a reset on the youth movement that had defined the Lakers during their six-year playoff absence. High draft picks like Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram were never able to mold together to return the Lakers to contender status and ultimately their value became as assets.

Next. A look back at the 2009 Finals. dark

With the trade, this is the second straight summer now where the Lakers have made a huge splash remaking their roster, for their fans and beleaguered front office sake they better hope this is the key for success next season.

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