LA Clippers: Weighing An Anthony Davis Trade

The Arguments AGAINST An Anthony Davis Trade

For as strong as the argument in favor of trading for Anthony Davis is, there are plenty that run counter to it. Naturally, a central theme for those opposed is a resistance to the idea of forfeiting any current Clippers players.

The most commonly cited reason for not making a trade is rooted in the emotional tie fans have to the Clippers’ current players. The 2018-19 Clippers are arguably the most beloved group in recent memory. For that reason, some simply aren’t willing to part with any of the players that would need to be sent away. I think that’s something that just about anyone understand as a reason to be hesitant about a trade at the very least.

A straight up dealbreaker for many is the fact that the Clippers’ star rookie, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would likely be a centerpiece for any return package the Pelicans would be seeking. This would be an extremely tough pill for a lot of fans to swallow, myself included. The point guard out of Kentucky began his professional career by agreeing to work out with only one team before the draft, The Clippers, despite quite a few others who wanted a look at him. He then showed up to training camp with all the lofty expectations that come with being a lottery pick and absolutely crushed them. He turned himself into a starting guard in a matter of months and helped in no small part to get the Clippers to the playoffs. Basically, everyone loves Shai.

There’s also the ever so important element of locker room culture to consider. It’s been joked that you don’t have to worry about the team’s culture if you trade it all away for Anthony Davis, but there is a shred of truth to that. If the Clippers were to send back a package that included guys like Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams, they’d be sending away significant team leaders that helped to cultivate that beloved, scrappy Clippers image over the past couple of years. After having been through the Lob City era, I think we Clippers fans can certainly appreciate the importance of a healthy locker room culture.

Likely the biggest reason to stand pat on a trade for Anthony Davis is the fact that he’ll be a free agent in the summer of 2020 anyway. Davis and his representation have stated that regardless of where he winds up and how it goes, he’d like to test the waters of free agency. Sure, there’s a chance that he stays with the Pelicans if David Griffin has his way (doubtful) and there’s a chance that Davis would re-sign with whichever team he’s dealt to (probably the Celtics).

Say Davis does wind up simply getting traded or playing through next season with the Pels, though. The Clippers simply going about their business but only managing to sign one superstar-caliber player. It wouldn’t be the worst thing to make as deep a run into the playoffs as they can in the 2019-2020 season, then make a play on Davis in free agency.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what the Clippers’ front office decides to do here because they’ve set themselves up for sustained success no matter what. Either they acquire a top-5 player or maintain a young, promising core of players going forward, with the possibility of adding top-tier free agents to the mix.