5 most important Los Angeles Lakers trades in NBA history

#4 James Worthy traded to LA in exchange for Don Ford

James Worthy was inducted to the hall of fame in 2003

James Worthy was not supposed to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. However, it was destiny that played its part in making sure that he played in LA.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had the 1982 first round draft pick in a 1979 exchange for forward Don Ford. The Lakers selected Worthy with the first overall pick of the 1982 NBA draft. He would go on to spend all 12 seasons with the franchise, winning three NBA championships as part of the 'Showtime Lakers'.

Worthy earned seven All-Star selections and averaged 17.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game during his NBA tenure.

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#3 Anthony Davis joins LeBron James in Los Angeles

A new era begins in Los Angeles

After yet another disappointing NBA season (2018-19) where the Lakers failed to make it to the post-season for seventh straight year, the Los Angeles Lakers front office went to work. This season was also the first time LeBron James, who was acquired in 2018 free agency, missed the playoffs in 14 years.

Anthony Davis, a six-time All-Star, is one of the most dominant centers in the league and had already requested the New Orleans Pelicans for a trade. There were huge speculations that he would be traded to the Lakers.

On 15 June 2019, the Pelicans agreed to trade Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round draft picks, including the Lakers' No. 4 overall selection in the 2019 NBA draft.

This move made the Lakers a championship contender overnight, but only time will tell how the trade will go down in the history of NBA trades. For now, it is safe to say that it deserves to be on this list.