The Los Angeles Lakers have a chance to make a groundbreaking move in the offseason to set themselves apart from the rest of the league.
The organization’s future appears promising after surprisingly landing Luka Doncic last month, but acquiring a controversial ex-Golden State Warriors star would turn even more heads.
“The Los Angeles Lakers are already terrifying the NBA as the No. 2 seed in the West, with LeBron James and Luka Doncic forming a duo that’s torching defenses nightly,” Fadeaway World’s Eddie Bitar wrote Saturday.
“LeBron’s ageless dominance paired with Luka’s surgical offense has turned every Lakers game into a highlight reel.”
“But in a league where super teams win championships, Rob Pelinka might not be done. Enter Kevin Durant—a player who could elevate the Lakers from contenders to a dynasty that could last two or three seasons.”
“While the Phoenix Suns are floundering with KD on the way out and whispers of a rebuild growing louder as six teams prepare bids for the 4-time scoring champion this summer, the idea of sending Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Dalton Knecht, Maxi Kleber, and a package of picks to Phoenix might be just crazy enough to work.”
Durant is a future Hall-of-Fame forward with a unique skill set, but there’s no denying his 2016 decision to join the Warriors was controversial.
Considering the Oklahoma City Thunder had a roster capable of returning to the Western Conference finals after surrendering a 3-1 series lead to the Dubs, Durant had a valid reason to remain with the franchise.
However, Durant ultimately decided it was in his best interest to sign with the team that ended his 2015-16 campaign on a sour note.
Alongside Stephen Curry and the Warriors, Durant won back-to-back championships and finals MVP awards before devastatingly falling to the Toronto Raptors in the final round of the 2019 playoffs.
This season, the Texas product has struggled mightily from a team success standpoint. The 29-34 Suns continue to play mediocre basketball with a star-studded roster, likely resulting in a lackluster postseason showing and massive roster changes.
Still, Durant has shown why he’s still a game-changing phenomenon in Year 18, averaging 26.9 points per contest and shooting 52.9% from the field and 39.9% from downtown.
Durant’s awe-inspiring perimeter scoring, Doncic’s surreal playmaking on the move, and James’ do-it-all nature as a superhuman 40-year-old forward would give the Lakers enough ammunition to dominate the Western Conference.
Although Reaves is enjoying a breakout campaign with the Lake Show this year as a reliable No. 3 scoring option, swapping him for Durant would drastically elevate Los Angeles’ ceiling under JJ Redick.
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