The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics can swap superstars in this proposed blockbuster trade.
Earlier in the offseason, Jaylen Brown signed the richest contract in NBA history, which could be worth up to $306 million over five seasons. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers handed Anthony Davis the richest annual extension, which could be worth up to $186 million over three years.
Of course, the two superstars are set to make a huge amount of money. But there are doubts that both Brown and Davis currently have the worst contracts for their respective teams. Keeping that in mind, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley suggested a huge blockbuster trade between the Celtics and Lakers.
Boston Celtics Receive: Anthony Davis
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams III
Following the new contract extension, Anthony Davis is ineligible to be traded until February 04, 2024, while Jaylen Brown cannot be involved in a trade until July 01, 2024. With that said, this hypothetical trade can only take place after the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.
“It’s possible Brown, 26, never reaches the level of stardom Davis has already hit—hence the inclusion of Williams, a dominant defender with his own injury issues—but the former is younger and more durable,” Buckley wrote.
He added: “Those traits could matter to the Lakers, who might need a sturdier foundation for their post-LeBron James era than the oft-injured Davis can provide.”
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics have a long history between themselves in the NBA. So, the odds of this trade happening are pretty slim. But as Buckley mentioned, the Lakers are looking for a younger and more durable player to lead the team following LeBron James’ imminent retirement.
Brown can be that star for the Lakers. On the other hand, the Celtics can benefit from pairing Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis to increase their championship window.
A Look At Anthony Davis’ Stats In The 2022-23 Season
The biggest concern about Anthony Davis has always been his inability to stay healthy for long stretches. AD has played a combined 132 games in the last three seasons.
In the 2022-23 season, Davis averaged 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. However, Davis’ numbers dipped to 22.6 points, 14.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game during the playoffs.
For what it’s worth, Anthony Davis is putting in the work over the summer. If AD doesn’t have a phenomenal season this year, the Lakers may try to trade him. After all, he’s currently 30 years old.
Did The Boston Celtics Make A Mistake By Giving Jaylen Brown A Five-Year, $306 Million Supermax Extension
Jaylen Brown had a career year in the 2022-23 regular season. He averaged 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. But it was the same old story in the postseason.
Brown’s numbers dropped to 22.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. Moreover, Brown also averaged 3.3 turnovers over 20 games in the playoffs.
Keeping that in mind, NBA legend Rick Barry called out the Boston Celtics for giving Jaylen Brown a five-year, $306 million supermax contract extension. Barry pointed out that for a player who has averaged 18.2 points per game in the playoffs, the Celtics massively overpaid Brown.
Well, what’s done is done, and it cannot be reverted. The Celtics will hope that Brown proves his doubters wrong and has another phenomenal regular season. And more importantly, this time around, he can carry that form into the postseason.
Otherwise, the Celtics may become open to trading him. If not the Lakers, there are still plenty of teams in the league that will accept the services of Brown.
