Can David Griffin bring LeBron James to Pelicans in Anthony Davis trade?

The Los Angeles Lakers are a mess, and it wouldn’t be crazy for LeBron James to demand a trade at this point. Could David Griffin and the New Orleans Pelicans swap him for Anthony Davis?

If you thought David Griffin and the New Orleans Pelicans had a lot of drama going on with the Anthony Davis situation, let me introduce you to the Los Angeles Lakers. Ever since LeBron James decided to take his talents to the West Coast, the team has seemingly mismanaged everything possible on their way to becoming the laughing stock of the NBA.

It all began when the front office put together a roster around LeBron James that immediately seemed like a total band of misfits, including players like Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, and Michael Beasley all being brought in to be featured rotational pieces. Then, near the trade deadline, the team seemingly offered every possible asset in their young core to the New Orleans Pelicans in return for Anthony Davis, including Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Kyle Kuzma.

But the Pelicans said no. In fact, it seemed like they never even took the Lakers’ offers seriously at all. But in the wake of almost everyone but LeBron being on the trade block, the locker room imploded, trust was lost, and Los Angeles failed to make the playoffs, something a LeBron James-led team has ever done. But that was just the beginning of the drama.

Magic Johnson quit as President of Basketball Operations out of nowhere and with no remorse. The team fired head coach, Luke Walton. Top head coach replacement candidate Monty Williams chose the Phoenix Suns over the Lakers. Backup plan Tyronn Lue entered deep negotiations to become the new coach, but the deal fell apart. Apparently, no one in the league like’s GM Rob Pelinka. Fans are staging protests outside of the Staples Center. And players are already giving ultimatums themselves.

Oh, and all of this has happened over the span of one month. To say the absolute least, it’s a total and complete “trainwreck” over there.

There’s dwindling belief that the team will be going in a positive direction any time soon, so people are already reportedly pressuring Lakers’ President Jeanie Buss to cut her losses and trade away LeBron James so the franchise can just start over. Whether or not she’d want to do this, it would not be surprising at all with this circus going on if LeBron James himself demands a trade soon anyway.

This is where it gets interesting for the New Orleans Pelicans. LeBron James and David Griffin have a history together and share a bunch of mutual respect for one another. With Anthony Davis wanting to get to Los Angeles anyway, it’s actually somehow not completely insane to consider the possibility of a trade occurring that simply swaps LeBron for AD. James would get reunited with his former GM, and Davis would get his fresh start out west that he’s been after for a while now.

For now, LeBron James coming to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Anthony Davis is nothing more than a pipe dream. However, David Griffin’s well-regarded history as a front office executive and his good relationship with LeBron make it a little more likely than you might initially think if the Lakers or LeBron himself decide it’s time for the 34 year old future hall of famer to find a new home.