Stephen A. Smith suggests LA Lakers trade Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook and sit LeBron James

As things continue to trend in the wrong direction for the LA Lakers, Stephen A. Smith feels it's time for them to make a major change. With contending for a title not in the picture right now, the longtime analyst thinks the Lakers should completely shake up the roster.

Since they won the NBA title in 2020, it has been a rough go for the league's most historic franchise. They failed to make the playoffs last season and were bounced in the first round the year before.

Through their first 10 games of the season, the LA Lakers sit with a record of 2-8 and are riding a three-game losing streak. The only team below them in the standings is the Houston Rockets, who are in the early stages of a rebuild.

Seeing that LA is well on their way to missing the postseason again, Stephen A. Smith feels it's time for the organization to take action. He recently went on ESPN's "First Take" and said the Lakers should trade Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis and send LeBron James home for the rest of the year:

"Here's the deal we all know they can't move LeBron you could probably move AD and Russell. ...

"What I'm saying to you is this, all right trade AD and Russell and tell LeBron to sit home."

Should the LA Lakers follow Stephen A. Smith's advice?

There is no getting around the fact that the LA Lakers are in a downward spiral right now. However, it might be a bit premature to completely throw away this season.

Not long ago, LeBron and Anthony Davis proved they are capable of leading a team to a championship. All they need is a cast of players around them who complement their game. That hasn't been the case the past two years, and is a clear reason why the Lakers continue to struggle.

Before the idea of trading AD is considered, LA must first see what is out there for Russell Westbrook. With his recent resurgence in a bench role, the front office might be able to get something for the former MVP.

Now that some of his value may have potentially come back, it might be time for general manager Rob Pelinka to make a call to the Indiana Pacers about Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

If there is still no market for Westbrook, then it might be time for LA to consider moving on from Davis. Since they have little draft capital or enticing prospects, they need something to reinvigorate the roster. Given that he is still a star-level player, the returns for Davis might be able to get the next phase of the franchise rolling in the right direction.