Los Angeles Lakers owner and president Jeanie Buss said while on The Rich Eisen Show before Tuesday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks that the purple and gold originally had no plans to trade Anthony Davis.
In a three-team deal before the NBA trade deadline, the Lakers, Mavericks, and Jazz completed a three-team trade that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles and Davis to Dallas.
The Lakers received Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris from the Mavs, while Dallas acquired Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. The Jazz received Jalen Hood-Schifino, the Los Angeles Clippers’ 2025 second-round pick and Dallas’ 2025 second-round selection.
Lakers Owner Jeanie Buss Says Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis Trade Would Have Made Kobe Bryant Happy
This improbable trade surprised everyone because Doncic is a five-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA member. He also won Rookie of the Year in 2019 after averaging 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
“You know, in my position, there are certain players in the league that you think, ‘There’s no way I’ll ever have that player on my team.’ It’s just impossible — unless you draft a star like that, they usually don’t move, Buss told Eisen.
“When the opportunity came up, we were not looking to move Anthony Davis. He was our rock-solid player, and we had to give up a lot to get Luka. I look back, and I remember the last time I saw Kobe alive — about a month before he passed.”
“He had brought Gigi to a Lakers game to see Luka play because Luka was Gigi’s favorite player. The idea that Luka is now a Laker — I know how happy that would have made Kobe and Gigi,” Jeanie Buss added.
After the trade, Davis suffered a left adductor (groin) strain in his Mavericks debut against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 8. The 13-year veteran has been out of the lineup since then.
Through five games played in a Lakers uniform, Doncic is averaging 19 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.8 steals, and 29.2 minutes per contest while shooting 38.1% from the field, 25% from 3-point range, and 75% at the foul line.
Doncic was eligible to receive a five-year, $345 million extension in the summer with the Mavericks, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Instead, the 25-year-old will likely sign a five-year contract worth $229 million with the Lakers.
