Anthony Davis’ tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers came to a stunning end over the weekend when he and Max Christie were traded to the Dallas Mavericks as part of a blockbuster deal to land Luka Doncic.
In five-plus seasons with the team, Davis was named to four All-Star games and of course won a championship alongside LeBron James in 2020. The Lakers acquiring Davis to pair with James represented a new era of Lakers basketball that brought the organization its 17th title and plenty of other memorable games and moments.
While acquiring a 25-year-old superstar like Doncic wasn’t something the Lakers could pass up, it’s still extremely tough to see Davis go considering all he has done for the organization and community.
After processing the trade for a couple of days, Davis put out a farewell message thanking his teammates and fans for five-plus great years in Los Angeles, via ESPN:
Anthony Davis posted his farewell to LA and the Lakers on social media 💜💛
(via @AntDavis23) pic.twitter.com/LCmlTW9i9T
— ESPN (@espn) February 3, 2025
The Mavericks are scheduled to play the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 25, so it won’t be long before Davis makes his return with his new team. He should and will get a massive ovation from Lakers fans and a tribute video from the organization, celebrating the great seasons he spent in L.A.
Davis was extremely close to all the players on the Lakers roster, but James in particular, which made this such a shocking trade. Now though, he will team up with Kyrie Irving in Dallas while James and Doncic will work to get the Lakers back into championship contention.
Rob Pelinka thanks Anthony Davis and other traded Lakers players
After the trade became official, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka released a statement thanking Anthony Davis and the other players that were part of the deal.
“We are overwhelmingly thankful for AD’s six seasons with the Lakers, where he led our franchise to a championship and cemented himself as a perennial NBA All-Star,” Pelinka said. “We are proud of Max Christie’s development as a Laker as he has grown into an impact 3-and-D player and we are appreciative of the work Jalen Hood-Schifino has put in to show professionalism at every level. Sports are about transformative moments. We are inspired by these moments Lakers fans know, expect and love with a franchise that continually ushers in new eras of greatness.”
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