A lot has been said about the trade that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles, but not enough has been talked about the reason behind sending Anthony Davis in exchange. In a recent interview, Jeanie Buss explained how she pulled off one of the biggest swaps in NBA history, and why he decided to go for it.
On Monday’s Morning Edition on NPR, the Lakers owner recalled their former big man being unhappy with his role in the team, and voiced his opinion many times over the years. “Anthony Davis was complaining about where he was being played and he wasn’t happy,” she explained.
“So I think this was a positive for both teams,” Buss assured. “They got what they were looking for; we got what we were looking for. And 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.”
After losing to the Nuggets in the playoffs for three years in a row, the purple and gold needed a change. “We gave up a lot to get Luka Doncic We’re happy we have him,” Jeanie insisted. “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.”
Last week, she appeared on The Rich Eisen Show and revealed that when “the opportunity came up, we were not looking to move Anthony Davis.” The three-team deal meant that Luka, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris came to Los Angeles, while AD, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick went to Dallas.
To complete the negotiations, the Jazz also received Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2025 second-round pick via the Clippers and the Mavericks’ 2025 second-round selection. Buss explained the secret behind the trade. “You know, I learned from my dad — and I point to when the Lakers traded for [Basketball Hall of Famer] Pau Gasol — people hadn’t heard about it,” she said about the blockbuster deal in 2008.
She then added: “[Spurs coach] Gregg Popovich in San Antonio and [former Mavericks owner] Mark Cuban in Dallas threw a fit that we ended up with Pau. They never got a chance to bid on him or probably talk Memphis out of trading him to us.”
