5 best 2019 moments for Los Angeles Lakers

1. The Anthony Davis trade

This was the moment that really turned things around for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Signing LeBron James as a free agent in 2018 made the Lakers relevant again, but acquiring Anthony Davis via trade in 2019 made the franchise serious championship contenders again.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Davis developed into a superstar with the New Orleans Pelicans. The 6’10” power forward/center collected three All-NBA and three All-Defensive nods while leading the league in blocks three times and leading the Pelicans as far as the Western Conference semifinals.

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In January, though, Davis’ request to be traded was made public. Reports and rumors ran wild that the Lakers were working harder than any other team to get Davis, but a deal with the Pelicans could not be worked out before the trade deadline in early February.

When the Lakers and Pelicans were both eliminated from the playoff race a couple months later, the two sides resumed trade discussions.

Finally, on June 15, it was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that they had agreed on a deal that would send Davis to the Lakers in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and three future draft picks.

Initially, there was a lot of skepticism among Laker Nation about the trade.

The Lakers gave up three talented young players and three picks for Davis, a 26-year-old who had (perhaps unfairly) developed a reputation for being injury-prone. Davis’ contract also expires in 2020, meaning there’s a chance Davis could leave L.A. after only one season.

That negative noise lessened significantly once the season tipped off, with the Lakers winning and Davis putting up a solid case for both NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.

Davis is averaging over 27 points and nine rebounds per game, tops on the Lakers. He’s also leading the team in steals and blocks, and he’s contending for the league lead in blocks.

His game log includes a 50-point effort against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Dec. 8 and a 40-point, 20-rebound stat line against the Memphis Grizzlies on Nov. 26. In that game, Davis set a Lakers record for free throws (26) in a single game.

When Davis returned to New Orleans to face the Pelicans for the first time since the trade, he dropped 41 points and sealed an L.A. victory with a steal in the final seconds.

Davis and LeBron are playing as good or better than any other tandem in the league; they seem like the perfect complements for each other at these respective stages in their careers.