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The Trade

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: C Alexis Ajinca, PF/C Anthony Davis

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: PG/SG Lonzo Ball, SF/PF Luol Deng, SF Brandon Ingram, SF/PF Kyle Kuzma, 2019 first-round pick

Riled Up Because...

Lakers

[Extremely Lakers extremist voice.]

Oh? So we're just gonna trade away the skeleton of a decade-long dynasty for Anthony Davis and his Greg Oden-light durability? When he's just two years away from entering free agency and signing with us at a discount?

Pass.

Look, we'll take him. But Deng, a first and filler is more than enough, because he'll obviously ask the Pelicans to trade him, and we'll obviously be his preferred destination, which obviously leaves them with no choice other than to deal him to us for whatever we're offering.

And if they don't like it, screw it. We'll re-sign Julius Randle, the better, younger, more durable Kentucky big. And we'll probably land Paul George or LeBron James, if not both, in free agency. We don't need Davis if the price is Souped Up Jason Kidd, Paul George or Kevin Durant 2.0 and Nikola Mirotic's role model.

[Clears throat.]

This would be a lot for the Lakers to give up. But they'd be acquiring a top-10 player while lopping off one of the league's least movable contracts in the process. And the Pelicans are under no obligation to deal Davis now, even if he asks for out. That decision doesn't really have to be made until next summer, when he's one year out from exploring the open market (player option).

If it makes Hollywood devotees feel any better, the Lakers won't consider gutting their future if they don't have the inside track on George or James. Such an aggressive play would come after landing one of them—or as a means of enticing both of them.

The Lakers could make this trade, stretch Ajinca, renounce Randle and all their other free agents, waive their non-guaranteed deals and get to around $63.4 million in space while carrying Davis, Josh Hart, this year's Cavs pick and a bunch of minimum holds. That leaves them roughly $2.3 million shy of meeting the $65.7 million it'll take to max out George and James, but hey: Maybe they'll each shave a million-and-change off the top to sync up with Davis.

Pelicans

[Rational Pelicans fan voice.]

What team doesn't see through next season before shopping Davis? Literally why would we do this?

DeMarcus Cousins may be injured, but we have his Bird rights. And who cares if we let him walk? That's what giving up another first-round pick to land Nikola Mirotic was for: protecting us against complete and utter desperation in Boogie's contract negotiations.

And swallow Deng? All two years and $38.6 million of Luol Deng? Hahaha. We're already paying Solomon Hill and Jrue Holiday Daddy Warbucks money. You're off your rocker, or a Lakers shill, or both if you think we're letting that fly. AD has two full freaking years left on his deal. We're not making any concessions. That includes agreeing to a sign-and-trade for Randle.

Y'all should have come calling when you still had Corey Brewer and Jordan Clarkson as fodder. At least then we'd pick up the phone. Maybe. Probably not. And if we did, we'd still be demanding Josh Hart and another first-rounder or two.

[Removes Pierre the Pelican costume head.]

All valid points—especially on Deng. The Lakers surrendered their most digestible salary-matching filler by sending Clarkson to Cleveland. And it may have been easier to pique the Pelicans' interest with an over-the-top overture in February, when Brewer's expiring contract and Randle's Bird rights could've come into play.

Still, the Pelicans cannot expect to emerge from Davis talks without having made compromises. Whether they contemplate moving him this summer or next, the rest of league knows they're on the clock. Davis' All-Star break comments, however inapposite, aren't doing them any favors.

"Yeah when you hear that, it makes you think," he told ESPN's Rachel Nichols of Kevin Garnett's loyalty sentiments from 2010. "I'm not going to lie, it makes you think. You wonder if you're following in that same path. But then again, you think this year could be the year. You don't know. You just have to take it year-by-year and see."

Boston Celtics

[Celtics Twitter font.]

Um, you realize Davis was talking to Nichols about Garnett, right? You know, the same Garnett we rescued from Minnesota? And who we brought a title?

Davis is basically already one of us. We have dibs. The Lakers can go get their own player-who-isn't-actually-their-player.

Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder

If the Lakers start hocking their soul in exchange for Davis leading up to or after the height of free agency, it probably means they'll land—or have already wooed—one or both of George and James. That would be no bueno for the Cavaliers and/or Thunder.

Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of NBA.com or Basketball Reference and accurate leading into games on Thursday. Salary and cap hold information via Basketball Insiders and RealGM.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale) and listen to his Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by B/R's Andrew Bailey.