Source: KD Will Be A Laker Next Year

[Kilroy]

AD priority 1
KD priority 2

[Landsberger]

I'm not that sold on Davis. Sure he's a stat hound but he's not shown he can elevate a team at all.

KD is starting to get on my nerves. If he comes here he's truly chasing and that's not something I'm down with. Bron came here to elevate a team. If Durant wanted to do that he'd be here already.

Give me Leonard. He's a guy that can fit in with any other stars and plays the game the right way. I'd try to get him before the other 2.

[Sedale Threatt]

I'm not that sold on Davis. Sure he's a stat hound but he's not shown he can elevate a team at all.

KD is starting to get on my nerves. If he comes here he's truly chasing and that's not something I'm down with. Bron came here to elevate a team. If Durant wanted to do that he'd be here already.

Give me Leonard. He's a guy that can fit in with any other stars and plays the game the right way. I'd try to get him before the other 2.

Davis is easily one of the top five players in the league, by pretty much every measure -- box score stats, advanced stats, whatever. Cousins goes down, Pelicans still swept the Blazers and get into the second round. The Pelicans got smoked, but he was probably the best player in their series with the Warriors.

It's kind of like Kareem in the 70s. When he got help with the Bucks, he won. When he didn't with the Lakers, he didn't. When he did with the Lakers, he did. I don't think the "stat hound" concept is empty -- Kevin Love comes to mind -- but we've seen this happen over and over through the course of NBA history.

[Landsberger]

Melo was a "top 5" player for a decade......

[Sedale Threatt]

Melo was a "top 5" player for a decade......

Yeah, I missed that.

[Landsberger]

Melo was a "top 5" player for a decade......

Yeah, I missed that.

Not that I don't think he's a great player.... rather I just prefer Leonard's all around game and his ability to morph between positions. Davis has less flexibility. He seems like a guy you build around..... not add to a great team.

[Sedale Threatt]

Melo was a "top 5" player for a decade......

Yeah, I missed that.

Not that I don't think he's a great player.... rather I just prefer Leonard's all around game and his ability to morph between positions. Davis has less flexibility. He seems like a guy you build around..... not add to a great team.

Hmmm, I love Leonard, and I wouldn't necessarily blame anybody for picking him over Davis if it came down to one or the other. Personally, I would jump at the chance to get Davis. But when Leonard is right he's an absolutely incredible two-way player. He really doesn't have any glaring flaws, other than whatever intangible stuff contributed to his completely bizarre breakup with the Spurs.

But I don't really see an "inflexibility" with Davis.

I do understand the concept of the "stat monger," and think it's legit to a certain degree. Like I said, Kevin Love comes to mind. I always thought the criticism he got in Minnesota was unfair, but while he was a key contributor on a championship team, it's pretty clear he was benefiting from being the lead guy on bad teams with the Wolves. It definitely happens.

But then, we also have example after example of players throughout NBA history who appeared to be in the same boat but turned into consistent winners when they were in better situations.

Jordan might be the prime example. People forget this, but everybody thought the notion that a perimeter scoring champion could lead a championship team was ludicrous, because nobody had ever done it before. We all know how that turned out. People thought Kareem was a loser in the 70s, which is stunning given his history. Garnett couldn't even get out of the first round for most of his tenure in Minnesota. But you give him solid supporting casts, he gets to the WC finals, and then flirts with 70 wins and claims a championship with the Celtics. You could almost go on and on.

I just think Davis is absolutely awesome, on every level you could ask for. He doesn't really have any glaring flaws either, so if we were so fortunate as to be able to choose -- we won't, because the Pelicans won't be trading him any time soon -- I'd have a tough time turning him down. Shot-blocking defensive anchors who can also win efficient scoring titles are so far and few between.

[Michael Lucky]

You could make an argument that Melo was never a top 10 player. Defense matters. He never once broke the 25 PER barrier for one thing which is a stat that favors offensive play a lot more than defense to begin with.

[Kilroy]

Davis is much harder to replace than Leonard... I mean if we could somehow sign Davis outright, and keep Ingram, we wouldn't even need Kawhi that much (projecting Ingram forward)...

KD is maybe the second best player in the league right now, but I'm just not sure how a LeBron/KD 1-2 punch wins a series against the better teams in the league. I think if they really have discussed it (and I honestly highly doubt coming to LA has even been seriously discussed with KD) it's because "It worked at Team USA" which is so Sophomoric as to be scary. There's a lot more to do to the team if they want that to work...

Whereas, you drop AD on a team with LeBron and you've got a matchup problem from hell for other teams... It's like modern era Shaq/Kobe... Drop Lonzo, BI, and Kuz on their and not only do you have a matchup problem, you have a better mix of talent that should make the game easier for all those guys...

[kblo247]

Davis is much harder to replace than Leonard... I mean if we could somehow sign Davis outright, and keep Ingram, we wouldn't even need Kawhi that much (projecting Ingram forward)...

KD is maybe the second best player in the league right now, but I'm just not sure how a LeBron/KD 1-2 punch wins a series against the better teams in the league. I think if they really have discussed it (and I honestly highly doubt coming to LA has even been seriously discussed with KD) it's because "It worked at Team USA" which is so Sophomoric as to be scary. There's a lot more to do to the team if they want that to work...

Whereas, you drop AD on a team with LeBron and you've got a matchup problem from hell for other teams... It's like modern era Shaq/Kobe... Drop Lonzo, BI, and Kuz on their and not only do you have a matchup problem, you have a better mix of talent that should make the game easier for all those guys...

Anthony Davis vs Kevin Durant

Comes down to the fact that AD is fragile glass. KD is better than him offensively. You can argue defensively too. You can’t even compare their clutch ness or durability side by side.

Does lebron really hitch his wagon to ad who has missed 82 games so far in his career, has proven no real playoff success without Rondo, and whose numbers are inflated where he is at after playing with Love? Make no mistake AD is closer to Love putting up some padded numbers than he is to Bosh who can impact a game nightly whether he dropped 20 or 2

KD is outright just better. And honestly the only way I think he comes is if he and the warriors beat us in the playoffs. Then he comes and beats golden state to secure his legacy and say he’s better than them and he had to lead lebron to glory in la.

[Dr Aki]

KD we can sign for free. AD we have to trade for.

So really, it's KD, Lonzo, Ingram (and whoever else needed to trade for AD)

vs

AD and non-max free agents, no Lonzo, no Ingram etc...

Answer is easy

[-Spyda-]

AD is the bigest dream for me to sign\trade

[Kobe_for_3]

Just cant wait! this is going to be a make or break season for our future!

[No name]

I'm not that sold on Davis. Sure he's a stat hound but he's not shown he can elevate a team at all.

.

Everything about him and his game has elevated others. I just don't see how you can say otherwise.