The basketball world got turned upside down late Saturday night after the Los Angeles Lakers decided to trade for Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic. Anthony Davis is going to Dallas as part of the blockbuster deal, leaving everyone in shock.
A common message from the Lakers organization was their desire to give Davis and LeBron James one more swing at a championship. With that, both stars tried to apply pressure in recent to make one to two more trades transpire before the deadline on Feb. 6.
While it can be necessary to apply pressure, there is a chance it does not pan out. L.A. seemed to have become frustrated with their former duo expressing their concerns on the trade market, via Sam Amick of The Athletic:
Team sources say the public complaints caused serious frustration all the way to the top of the Lakers franchise. What’s more, there was little confidence that the sort of moves James and Davis wanted were possible on the open market.
Obviously, Davis won a championship with the Lakers in 2020 and formed a dynamic duo with James. But, with the inability to gain traction on marginal moves to improve their roster, owner Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka opted to go star hunting:
But when the moves they wanted wouldn’t come, or when the trades that were made wouldn’t lead to the championship-contender status they all wanted so badly, the tension would rise on both sides of the Lakers ledger. And all this time later, with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss clearly growing tired of this disgruntled dance and the chance of a basketball lifetime presented by a Dallas Mavericks team that was quietly desperate to move on from Luka Dončić, this move was made that was as monumental as any we’ve seen in decades.
As the James nears the end of his career, Pelinka needed to start thinking about who is going to be the face of the franchise moving forward. Davis showcased some concerns with injuries and also inconsistent ability to be a No. 1 option according to those upstairs, which is why they were OK doing this deal for Doncic:
Let’s go back to that key word for a moment: alpha. While Davis had no shortage of fans within the Lakers’ walls, there was also a strong sense that he wasn’t “1-A” material. 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. And while his approval rating was high, it had not been forgotten how — in those days before the decision was made to fire then-coach Darvin Ham in early May 2024 — the known threat of a possible Davis trade request loomed so large when it came to their internal calculus. The pressure on that front had been rising for quite some time.
It stings that Davis was a casualty given how much he poured into the city, but as commonly noted, the NBA is a business. With the big man expressing concern with the center rotation and uncertainty heading into the next iteration of the Lakers, Doncic is now that option.
LeBron James refutes report about growing frustrated with Anthony Davis
LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ partnership is over with the four-time champion left standing. Rumors began to swirl surrounding the players and why the franchise opted to move a different direction, but James refuted any frustrations with Davis throughout their tenure.
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