Before the Los Angeles Lakers shockingly traded Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in a stunning blockbuster deal to acquire Luka Doncic, the big man has serious concerns about Los Angeles’ roster and whether or not it could truly compete in the Western Conference.
Anthony Davis had serious concerns about Lakers’ center depth
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin detailed what concerns Davis had before he was dealt a few days before the trade deadline. Davis had previously expressed a desire to play his natural power forward position in favor of the team taking on another big man in the frontcourt.
“The Lakers would have listened to Davis’ request to play alongside another big to spend more time at power forward — and tried to trade for one,” McMenamin said. “If L.A. had done so, teaming Davis with another center as he was in 2020 with Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee, perhaps the Lakers would have found similar success.”
Davis came into the league as a power forward, and primarily started playing center for the Lakers following their 2020 championship. While he still played at a high-level at the position, his concerns about the depth at the position are legitimate.
This season, Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko have been the only healthy center even while Davis was still in Los Angeles. The Lakers attempted to still make a trade for a center even after acquiring Doncic, but their deal to acquire Mark Williams from the Charlotte Hornets was rescinded after the team failed Williams’ physical exam, leaving them without a proper replacement for Davis.
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The Lakers will need to find a proper way to replace Davis
Davis was having a monster season with the Lakers before the trade. He is averaging 25.7 points and 12.0 rebounds per game this season, but the Mavericks will have to wait before they get a large sample size of him, as he suffered an adductor strain in his team debut that is expected to keep him out for multiple weeks.
The Lakers, meanwhile, will have to find creative ways to find depth in the frontcourt after their trade for Williams fell through. They will likely be active for bigs in the buyout market in the coming days, with the hope that they land a serviceable center that makes their roster more complete.
Los Angeles cruised by to a win in Doncic’s team debut on Monday by a score of 132-113. Doncic scored 14 points, grabbed five rebounds, and dished four assists in 24 minutes of action.
