The Billy King comparisons are absurd hot takes. Anthony Davis at 26 vs on their last legs KG and PP -- which of these have nothing to do with the other? Particularly when you're pairing AD with LeBron.
Among the many, many other hot takes in this thread that has me puzzled is that the picks are what makes it a good deal for the Pels. Sure...we don't know, but very very good chance those are mainly late picks. All the wishcasting about AD injuries/LeBron decline/no one else every signing with the Lakers is just...well...wishcasting. But Ingram and Ball are really valuable pieces. On Ingram, there's ton of assertions that he doesn't try on defense which can only come from people who don't watch him play. He's got one of those facial expressions that doesn't scream "white guy overachiever" but he's a hard worker with amazing wing span and good feet. I know it's just a month or so, but he was killing it before he went out with this blood clot thing -- the idea he wouldn't go at #4 this year is ridiculous. I'd probably take him #2 and just no way I'd value Hunter over him. And Ball is...well...we all know what he is: he's an elite passer and defender which make him very valuable. God knows what happened to his college shot and his FT shooting makes one think maybe it'll never come around. But if it does -- he moves beyond very valuable to all-star. Those are the 2 prizes for the Pels along with the #4 (Garland? Would love his combo with Zion, Ball, and Ingram). The other picks are what they are.
For all the celebrating in this and other threads, this is a classic win-win trade. Celtics the big losers in re never converting their assets into championship winning studs. Good not great is not where you want to be in this league.
The one thing about Father Time is that he remains undefeated. The age 34 LeBron is no longer head & shoulders better than his peers. He’s still a top 5 player for sure, but the decline’s begun. The draft picks are coming in his age 37-39 seasons. The odds of his remaining a top 5 player for those years are basically non-existent.
As for Davis, he hasn’t exactly led the Pelicans on deep playoff runs by himself, and Laker management has been every bit as disastrous as New Orleans. It’s really a pretty good bet that those three picks are going to come in in the top half of the draft. His commitment to the Lakers begins and ends with LeBron. And if LeBron sees a better avenue to a title when this contract is up, he’ll almost certainly take it.