Would the Lakers really trade Anthony Davis?

As the Lakers continue to lose, the NBA world expects a Russell Westbrook trade. He might not be the only All-Star leaving LA.

Talking to Kevin O'Connor on Sunday's Bill Simmons podcast, Simmons suggested that Anthony Davis might be on the trading block. Simmons said, "There's some buzz that AD might be available...a Plan B because the Westbrook trade... doesn't even make sense. You've got Davis here, who I don't think has looked the same for a couple of years. I don't know what the endgame is for this Laker team, but I know the Pelicans have their pick. and whatever they have, I don't think it's fixable in a way that makes them a playoff team."

O'Connor responded, "I think he should be on the table. Whether he is or not is largely dependent on...what's the return?"

O'Connor also noted that Davis is simply not the efficient scorer he used to be. Davis is shooting 52.9 percent from the floor, but just 23.1 percent from three-point range, the third straight season he's been under 30 percent from deep. Out of the 50 Lakers who have had the most isolation plays in the AD era, The Brow is 48th in scoring efficiency on those ISOs. Davis doesn't like playing center, but his erratic shooting makes it difficult for the Lakers to have spacing when he's playing the four.

Davis also seems to participate less in the offense as the game continues. He's averaging 22.5 points per game - but just eight points in the second half, and only 3 points in the 4th quarter. In eight fourth quarters, Davis is averaging 2.5 shots, which is 5th on the team, and his plus/minus is -2.8. Against the Pelicans, AD took just two shots in the second half and none in the 4th quarter.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham acknowledged that Davis wasn't getting the ball, but explained it wasn't an issue of not calling plays for the big man. "These guys are not rookies...He's got my blessing to scream out, call his own number," Ham told reporters after the loss. "We tried to get him going, tried to get Bron going on some post actions and some step-ups and pick-and-roll stuff. It's not like we're not trying."

The Lakers are now 2-7, and they don't have their own first-round pick. If they're going to remake this team, Davis is the only asset they have that could bring something good back in return - most Westbrook trade scenarios have the Lakers dealing more first-rounders away. A deal might not happen for a while, but it seems increasingly clear that Davis is no longer untouchable.