It’s been over a month since the seismic trade that saw the Los Angeles Lakers acquire Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Anthony Davis. While the dust has settled, the blockbuster deal remains a hot topic around the NBA. Recently, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss shed light on one critical reason the organization decided to part ways with Davis.
In an interview with National Public Radio (NPR), Buss revealed that Davis had expressed dissatisfaction with his role on the team, which played a significant part in the decision to pursue the trade with Dallas.
“We gave up a lot to get Luka Doncic. We’re happy we have him,” Buss said. “We’ve lost to the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs three years in a row, and we didn’t have anything that was going to look different heading into this year’s postseason. Anthony Davis was complaining about where he was being played, and he wasn’t happy. So I think this was a positive move for both teams”.
Anthony Davis had previously voiced his preference for playing power forward instead of center, a sentiment he reiterated when he spoke with Shams Charania on ESPN earlier this year.
“I think we need another big… I’ve always been at my best when I’ve been at the four [power forward] and having a big out there,” Davis explained in January. “We know it worked when we won a championship with JaVale [McGee] and Dwight [Howard] at the five [center] and I’m at the four”.
Buss calls the trade a win-win
Despite losing a key player who contributed to their last championship, Buss believes the trade benefited both the Lakers and Mavericks. “They [Mavericks] got what they were looking for; we got what we were looking for,” Buss stated.
“I didn’t realize it was going to be international news like it was, but that’s the power of the Laker brand and its ability to draw big names who want to write their own chapter in Lakers history,” she added.
Keeping the deal under wraps
The secrecy surrounding the trade negotiations took the NBA world by surprise, including Doncic and Davis. Buss highlighted the importance of maintaining confidentiality to ensure the deal went through without distractions.
“It was really important to me that we didn’t blow up the team,” Buss said ahead of the Lakers’ matchup against the Timberwolves, via ESPN. “If it had leaked out and the trade hadn’t happened, that would’ve been really unfair to the progress the coaching staff had made with the team. Because it’s a huge distraction”.
Buss acknowledged the stress surrounding the trade deadline and took pride in how smoothly the organization handled the negotiations. “The trade deadline is part of the business. It increases the level of stress for everybody,” she noted. “I’m really proud that it didn’t leak out and that we were able to execute the trade in a way that surprised everyone involved. But that’s part of this business”.