In their season opener against the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers were unsteady. But following Anthony Davis’ double-double, the Lakers performed admirably in their second game against the Phoenix Suns. Kendrick Perkins thinks LA may advance if they think about acquiring James Harden through trade.
Because of LA’s roster, Perkins thinks James Harden is a better fit for the Lakers than the Clippers.
“I might try to trade for James Harden if I were the Los Angeles Lakers. Although Anthony Davis would prefer to play for the Clippers, the analyst on NBA Today stated that the Lakers would be a better fit for him.
Kendrick Perkins has a point. Harden led the NBA in assists (10.7 per game) during the 2022–23 season. The former All-Star had an excellent target to pass to in Joel Embiid, who happened to lead the league in scoring. Harden could help Davis and the Lakers get more looks, but there is a barrier.
Los Angeles has its own elite playmaker in LeBron James. James comes off a season where he averaged 6.8 assists per game, which put him as one of the top 13 assist leaders in the NBA. In addition, Harden might open things up for LA, but his presence could mess with the chemistry the Lakers worked hard to build.
LA showed strength against the Devin Booker-less Suns in a 95-100 win. Anthony Davis had 30 points and 12 rebounds, while James nearly had a 21-point triple-double. Clearly, the Lakers have the talent necessary to find success in the stacked Western Conference.
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