Anthony Davis has barely had a chance to embrace his new team and the Los Angeles Lakers are already trying to rework their trade for the former New Orleans Pelicans superstar in order to afford a max salary slot in free agency, according to various reports.
If you ask CBS Sports' Brad Botkin, however, he thinks the Lakers botched their blockbuster deal for Davis from the get-go.
"I think there's a chance they did not understand the timing of this deal," Botkin told Danny Kanell on Wednesday's "Kanell & Bell" podcast, referring to the notion that Davis would not have counted against the Lakers' books entering free agency had L.A. and New Orleans agreed to process their trade 30 days after the opening of the market.
"If the Lakers were fully aware of this situation, they would've already asked the Pelicans ... before the deal went down," he added. "If they asked them that, presumably New Orleans said no to that, so why are they going back to them now? I don't think they knew! I really don't think Rob Pelinka and his front office really knew the fine print that David Griffin obviously does know, a seasoned GM ... Look at the track record of the Lakers."
Not only that, but Botkin thinks the idea that the Lakers are the new favorites to win next year's NBA Finals is an absolute farce.
"That is a huge, huge overreaction, and Vegas knows that idiots are going to bet because it's the Lakers," he said. "That's like making the Cowboys, like, whatever they are, the second-best odds. People are stupid."
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