Lakers Rumors: Anthony Davis Was Ready to Team Up With Paul George in Indiana

Everyone knows that during the 2018-19 NBA season, Anthony Davis was angling to get himself traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

But perhaps no fans knew that prior to that, he reportedly had another team in mind.

According to an Indiana Pacers source close to Paul George, Davis wanted to join him on the Pacers in the summer of 2017.

At the time, Davis’ New Orleans Pelicans were coming off a disappointing 34-48 season and looked like they were going nowhere fast. The Pacers, meanwhile, had just been swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the 2017 playoffs.

George was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder that summer. After two first-round exits, George got himself traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in the summer of 2019, even though he signed a long-term deal with the Thunder the previous summer.

Around 2017, there were many rumors that George, who is originally from Palmdale, Calif., wanted to be traded to the Lakers. In 2018, the Lakers had interest in him as a free agent.

As it turned out, George and Davis are now part of the burgeoning intracity rivalry between the Lakers and Clippers.