Report: Anthony Davis' Trade Comment 'Caused Serious Frustration' Within Lakers

Anthony Davis' time with the Los Angeles Lakers is over following a stunning trade, and the front office reportedly wasn't pleased with some of his public comments earlier this month.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported late Saturday night that Los Angeles traded Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick to the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team deal that also included the Utah Jazz. The Lakers got Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in return, dramatically changing the look of their lineup.

In the aftermath of the trade, Sam Amick of The Athletic reported that Davis' previous public comments "caused serious frustration all the way to the top of the Lakers franchise."

The big man told Charania earlier this month, "I think we need another big. I feel like I've always been at my best when I've been the 4, having a big out there."

Davis also pointed to the team's 2020 title as the reasoning behind his comment and said, "We know it worked when we won a championship with JaVale [McGee] and Dwight [Howard] at the 5 and I'm at the 4."

Charania noted in that piece that LeBron James also expressed his desire for the front office to make a move to bolster the team's immediate chances at a championship, even if it cost some future assets.

Well, that front office certainly made a move.

And now it has a 25-year-old star in Dončić who figures to be the face of the franchise even after James retires. It also likely extends the Lakers' window beyond what the 31-year-old Davis would have offered as the go-to option on the floor.

Amick reported a lack of belief in Davis' ability to thrive after James eventually retires played a role in this move.

"While Davis had no shortage of fans within the Lakers' walls, there was also a strong sense that he wasn't '1-A' material," he wrote. "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."

What's more, he highlighted that some within the team hadn't forgotten "the known threat of a possible Davis trade request loomed so large when it came to their internal calculus" before the firing of head coach Darvin Ham in May 2024.

It all combined and resulted in one of the most shocking trades in NBA history that changed the immediate and long-term futures of two of the contenders in the Western Conference.

And if Dončić plays like a top-five player in the league for years to come in Purple and Gold, the reported frustration with Davis and eventual decision to move on will end up working out nicely for the Lakers.