New Reporting; Some In Los Angeles Lakers Front Office Furious Before Anthony Davis Trade

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.”

Anthony Davis Trade Caused Frustration Among Los Angeles Lakers

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers at Philadelphia 76ers
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The big man told Shams Charania, who broke the news of the trade, earlier this month, “I think we need another big. I feel like I’ve always been at my best when I’ve been the 4, having a big out there.”

Davis harkened back to the team’s 2020 title, saying, “We know it worked when we won a championship with JaVale [McGee] and Dwight [Howard] at the 5 and I’m at the 4.

Furthermore, as noted by Charania, LeBron James had previously expressed his desire for the front office to make aggressive moves to bolster the team’s immediate championship aspirations, even if it meant sacrificing future assets.

Subscribe to LAFB Network’s YouTube Channel

While there are some within the organization upset with Davis’s departure, other reporting suggests some were ready to move on from Davis.

“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.

Mentioned In This Article: