The Los Angeles Lakers have executed a franchise-altering trade, sending Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris. This blockbuster deal, reported late Saturday night by ESPN’s Shams Charania, also involved a three-team trade with the Utah Jazz.
The move, which has sent shockwaves through the NBA, appears to have been influenced by recent public comments made by Davis that, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, “caused serious frustration all the way to the top of the Lakers franchise.”
“While Davis had no shortage of fans within the Lakers’ walls, there was also a strong sense that he wasn’t ‘1-A’ material,” Amick wrote. “League sources say there were concerns about his durability and availability and a belief that he could never truly be counted on as a top option in the future.”
What’s more, he highlighted that some within the team hadn’t forgotten “the known threat of a possible Davis trade request loomed so large when it came to their internal calculus” before the firing of head coach Darvin Ham in May 2024.
Reporting Suggests Internal Los Angeles Lakers Frustrations Fueled Anthony Trade

Furthermore, in a video shared by CBS Sports, NBA insider Bill Reiter claimed that LeBron James “had grown frustrated with Anthony Davis,” suggesting the 40-year-old forward’s possible involvement in the trade.
James quickly disputed this report about his relationship with Anthony Davis after the blockbuster trade early Sunday morning. “You a fkn lie!!!” James posted on X in response to a report from CBS Sports that claimed he “had grown frustrated” with Davis.
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“I’m gonna tell you something that was true a year ago but I think it is pertinent now,” CBS Sports reporter Bill Reiter said in a television spot. “Remember I talked to I think you on CBS Sports HQ last year at the trade deadline and Lakers fans got very angry.
But at the time, there was talk within the Lakers organization that LeBron James had grown a little frustrated with Anthony Davis. It wasn’t that necessarily AD was going to be traded, we obviously didn’t report that on CBS Sports, it was just ‘hey this is something to keep an eye on, LeBron is frustrated with AD and he doesn’t think that it’s working.’ And that’s because LeBron has very, very high expectations.
“And you fast-forward a year later, obviously that reporting, really that information from Lakers sources, was accurate. This was probably a slow blow and it’s always hard to know with LeBron James. I’ve covered the guy, we’ve all watched him for years — amazing player, amazing player. He can be a little inconsistent sometimes. He can be, some would say, a little moody. This is something I had heard about and we talked about a year ago. You never know if it’s just LeBron having a bad month with AD. But obviously LeBron had made the consideration because you’re right, this trade does not happen without his absolute blessing and approval.”