Anthony Davis was considered the next superstar to lead the Los Angeles Lakers franchise after LeBron James retired, but the organization made a blockbuster deal that shipped the big man out to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic.
Doncic’s availability was never broadcast to the rest of the league and instead Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison was intent on landing Davis back in a deal for Doncic. Harrison explained that the move was to give Dallas a better defense and he later doubled down by saying he didn’t regret it despite the overwhelming negative reaction from the fan base.
While Doncic went on to lead the Lakers to the third seed and the playoffs, Davis suffered an abdominal injury that forced him to miss multiple weeks. Although Davis eventually returned, Dallas lost in the Play-In Tournament and went into the offseason with more questions than answers.
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss was fond of Davis during his time in Los Angeles and in an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, she expressed how much she’s looking forward to talking to him this offseason since they haven’t gotten that chance since the trade:
“I haven’t seen him face-to-face and I look forward to in the offseason. But you have to remember, he’s now under contract to another team. We’ve had too many instances of people accusing us of tampering, so I have to be really careful with stuff like that.”
Like her father, Dr. Jerry Buss, Jeanie has a knack for connecting with players and she made sure to establish a positive relationship with Davis. Jeanie prides herself and the organization for collaborating with their stars and they made sure to listen to Davis whenever he spoke.
If Dallas hadn’t been open to moving Doncic, Davis would still be with the purple and gold as there were no indications that he ever wanted to leave Los Angeles. Davis accepted the challenge of being the face of the Lakers and the team made a conscious effort to highlight him on the floor as LeBron James took more of a supporting role on the floor.
Davis didn’t seem to harbor any ill feelings towards the Lakers following the trade, so Jeanie will surely be able to express how much he meant to the organization and explain in further detail why they chose to pull the trigger on the deal.
LeBron James jokes about Anthony Davis trade
LeBron James and Anthony Davis formed one of the best duos in NBA history, and the two remained close following the trade. After being eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves, James joked about the Davis trade when asked about the Lakers playing without a center.
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