The back-and-forth between the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis continues as Lakers owner Jeanie Buss recently spoke candidly about Davis’ exit. Her comments shed light on what led to the league-shaking trade with the Dallas Mavericks.
When it happened, the move was framed as a strategic shift to acquire Luka Dončić. However, in a recent interview, Buss stated that Davis’s dissatisfaction played a major role in her decision. Her comments provide a rare glimpse into what led to one of the most high-profile trades in NBA history.
Buss Highlights Davis’ Frustration
“Anthony Davis was complaining about where he was being played, and he wasn’t happy,” Buss said in an interview with National Public Radio (NPR). Reports indicate that Davis was unhappy with his offensive role and fit alongside LeBron James. Davis prefers to play power forward to avoid the physical toll of being their full-time center.
Davis’s concerns were reportedly voiced repeatedly to team executives, creating tension within the organization. Buss’s comments seem to indicate that the situation had become untenable. She hinted that his mindset no longer aligned with the team’s long-term vision, which led to the decision to move on.
The Trade and Its Aftermath
The Lakers’ decision to trade Davis to Dallas in exchange for Dončić was bold, signaling a shift in the team’s future. Buss believes Davis is an elite talent, but keeping a player who wasn’t fully invested wouldn’t work.
“You can’t have someone in your locker room who isn’t fully committed,” she said.
For Davis, the transition to Dallas has been far from smooth. In his first game with the Mavs, he suffered a left adductor strain, raising old concerns about his durability. NBA insider Shams Charania now reports that he may not return this season. The Mavericks, who hoped Davis and Kyrie Irving could lead them on a deep playoff run, now could miss the playoffs completely.
The Lakers have embraced their new identity with Dončić. Since the trade, they’ve climbed to second in the Western Conference standings, and look set for the future after LeBron James’ eventual retirement.
They got what they were looking for; we got what we were looking for,” Buss said.
Jerry Buss Would Have Been Proud
Jeanie’s legendary father, Dr. Jerry Buss, died in 2013. Jeanie took full control of the Lakers in 2017. Her mission has been to honor his legacy.
“He asked me to do something, which was to protect the Lakers,” she said. “And I did it.”
In pulling off the trade for Dončić, Jeanie Buss sees herself as doing what her father would have done, put the Lakers in position to win championships. Her father never wanted to rebuild, and that message drove her to shake up the franchise once again.
“We gave up a lot to get Luka…We have lost the last three years in a row to the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, and we really didn’t have anything that was going to look different going into the playoffs again,” Buss added.
Jeanie Buss had made her vision for the Lakers clear. Anthony Davis no longer fit that vision.
