In the semifinals of the Midseason Cup, the Lakers eliminated the Pelicans with a stunning score of 133-89, and LeBron James was the center of the game with a 30-point slash in 22 minutes. But some overlook the fact that these two teams were the protagonists of a shocking trade in 2019.
Today, the only ones left are the Lakers' thick eyebrows (Anthony Davis) and the Pelicans' Yingge (Brandon Ingram). Thick eyebrows stand there, staring at Fat Tiger (Julius Randall) and Yingge, the "champion + leader" duo now reliving their setbacks from five years ago.
Although Bush has become an All-Star and signed a lucrative contract, he still has a huge gap with the top powerhouses in New Orleans and the Pelicans. Ingram looked at the thick eyebrows that hugged LeBron in celebration, he was once the "deputy of the king" that everyone expected, and people expected him to be the little Durant next to James, and in the 18-19 season, he did have a good performance.
However, in the end, the Lakers had to include him in the trade. Prior to that, the Lakers had rejected Cousins of the Spurs and Paul George of the Pacers in order to keep Yingge. Ingram once carried the huge expectations of the Lakers management and was the most valued young talent in the "post-Kobe era".
In 2018, when LeBron joined the Lakers, Bushy Eyebrows fell out with the Pelicans and joined Rich Paul's Clutch Company. Thick eyebrows have a strained relationship with the team, preferring to accept a 15-minute limit per game rather than listen to the team's arrangement, and even willing to sign a contract extension or join the Celtics who are not attractive to him.
The negotiations between the Lakers and the Pelicans did not go well, although the thick eyebrows only had one year left on the contract, but general manager Griffin still insisted on getting four first-round picks and the requirements of all the Lakers' young talents, striving to make up for the loss of the thick eyebrows with the chips accumulated by the Lakers.
It wasn't until the summer of 2019, when the Pelicans drew the No. 1 pick and confirmed that they could get Zion Williamson, the most high-profile player at the time, that the trade took a turn. In addition, the Lakers were lucky to draw the No. 4 pick in the first round in the same year, and the final deal was finalized: the Lakers used seven years of accumulated draft chips in exchange for the most powerful forward in the league at the time, Thick Eyebrows.
Not only did he help the Lakers win their 17th championship in franchise history in their debut season, but they also kept the Lakers among the league's favorites in the years that followed, along with James. Despite being plagued by injuries and a failed Westbrook trade, Bush's value on the court is unquestionable once he's fit.
He's one of the league's top and scarcest super interior players, along with Jokic (Nikola Jokic), Embiid (Joel Embiid), and Antetokounmpo (Adam Antetokounmpo). In yesterday's game, thick eyebrows scored 16 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals, although not as glamorous as LeBron, but still the cornerstone of the Lakers' defensive end.
No one doubts the value of thick eyebrows to this Lakers team, just as no one doubts the value of James. In comparison, the Pelicans are at best a no-win or loser in this deal. They traded assets such as the No. 4 and No. 57 picks and Salomon Hill in 2019 to the Hawks, and eventually got the No. 8, No. 17 and No. 35 picks.
The three picks ended up getting Jaxson Hayes, Alexander Walker and Silva, respectively. They used the Lakers' 2022 eighth pick to select Dyson Daniels as a backup point guard this season, while also acquiring a 2023 first-round pick. Although the trade didn't go all the way, the big trade in 2019 was a success for the Lakers.