Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press

Speculation about the Los Angeles Lakers' acquisition of New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis continues to grow, and it could cost the team one of its top young players.

According to Mark Heisler of the Orange County Register, it is "likely, or all but certain" that point guard Lonzo Ball would be part of the return in a trade for Davis.

In the meantime, the Pelicans must first decide whether they should deal their best player, per Heisler:

"Trading for Davis depends first on A.D. demanding such a deal. To date, he seems to be following James' lead, hiring LeBron's in-house agent, Rich Paul, going out with LeBron after the Pelicans' Dec. 21 game here. There's now talk of a backlash—teams 'pressuring' the Pelicans not to cave to the players, play ball with the Lakers and ruin the league."

Davis is under contract through at least the 2019-20 season, with a player option for 2020-21.

New Orleans has struggled to meet expectations this season, entering Sunday with the third-worst record in the Western Conference (22-28).

Ball is out at least a month with an ankle sprain, but before going down he looked more comfortable from the perimeter than he did as a rookie. He's still just 21 and might benefit from being able to run an offense without LeBron James commanding touches.

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For the Lakers, adding Davis would obviously be game-changing. It's unclear what other players might be involved in a potential swap, but if Kyle Kuzma were spared, that would be a potent trio.

The Lakers haven't made the playoffs since the 2012-13 season and are currently ninth in the West at 25-24. LeBron has been out since Christmas with a groin injury, though he should be back soon.

It's a big "if," but if the Lakers land Davis before the Feb. 7 trade deadline, they'd have more than enough time to develop a rapport and seriously challenge the Golden State Warriors should they meet in the playoffs.