Report: There was a strong sense within Lakers organization that Anthony Davis wasn’t ‘1-A’ material

Late on Saturday night, news surfaced of maybe one of the more shocking trades in the history of the NBA. Despite being only months removed from appearing in the NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks were involved in a three-team trade that will send Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, the Mavericks will receive Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future first-round pick.

According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, there were folks within the storied Lakers organization who doubted whether Davis could be relied on as a “1-A” player moving forward.

“Let’s go back to that key word for a moment: alpha,” Sam Amick wrote. “While Davis had no shortage of fans within the Lakers’ walls, there was also a strong sense that he wasn’t ‘1-A’ material. 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. And while his approval rating was high, it had not been forgotten how — in those days before the decision was made to fire former coach Darvin Ham in early May 2024 — the known threat of a possible Davis trade request loomed so large when it came to their internal calculus. The pressure on that front had been rising for quite some time.”

Davis had a hard time staying on the floor for the Lakers throughout his tenure with the team. He spent five-plus seasons in Los Angeles, yet he played in 70-plus games in a single campaign just one time. In the 2023-24 campaign — his final full season as a Laker — he appeared in 76 of the team’s 82 regular-season contests.

Granted, Davis was on track to suit up in more than 70 games with the Lakers this season. Davis appeared in 42 of Los Angeles’ first 47 games of the campaign before he was dealt to the reigning Western Conference champions.

Davis had probably been the Lakers’ most productive player so far this season. Prior to the trade, he led the way for Los Angeles in points, rebounds and blocks per game. Furthermore, he is shooting 52.8 percent from the field in the 2024-25 campaign.

Los Angeles’ defensive effectiveness could take a major hit in light of losing Davis. The nine-time All-Star has been one of the top defensive players at his position in the league for a long time now, and the Lakers are now even thinner at the big man spot. It’s worth noting that Los Angeles also acquired Maxi Kleber in the trade, but he is averaging just 3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game with so far this season.

The Lakers’ reported concerns regarding Davis’ ability to serve as the team’s top option were warranted, but the nine-time All-Star will have a chance to prove Los Angeles wrong with his new team. Perhaps Davis will fit like a glove alongside players like Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford in Dallas.