LOS ANGELES — The Lakers live comfortably in Luka Dončić land ten months after the blockbuster that stunned the league. The Lakers trading Anthony Davis always felt explosive, but Brett Siegel’s new reporting reveals that the story ran deeper than anyone suspected. Nico Harrison, the architect of Dallas’ push for Davis, lost his job days ago, signaling the final echo of a deal that once appeared to close the book on years of tension. Instead, we now learn the Lakers had been working toward that ending long before February.
Lakers Tried To Trade Anthony Davis To Celtics, Cavaliers Before Dončić Trade
Most of the league learned about the trade from Shams Charania’s alert. Only Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss, Patrick Dumont, and Harrison knew the truth. Behind closed doors, the Lakers had quietly prepared for an Anthony Davis trade since the summer of 2024. Concerns over his conditioning, drive, and long-term reliability guided every internal discussion. The team believed that waiting any longer risked losing leverage.
Years of Wear and a Growing Disconnect
The concerns weren’t sudden. Soft-tissue injuries shadowed Davis after the 2020 championship. He played only 132 games over the three years because of calf, Achilles, knees, ankle, and foot issues. The cumulative effect fueled doubts about how he maintained his body.
By 2024, the relationship frayed. Davis and his camp clashed with the franchise on recovery plans. He communicated inconsistently in the offseason. His conditioning entering camp became a recurring worry. One staff member told Siegel, “There were moments in the preseason where we wondered if he had even worked out at all.”
Another recalled Davis’ early years with frustration: “He was always one of the first in and last out. Over the years, that changed.”
Those words cut because they captured a shift the Lakers could no longer ignore.
Rising Tensions Push the Lakers Toward Action
Even before the idea of pairing Dončić with LeBron James surfaced, tension rose between Davis’ side and the Lakers’ front office. Commitment questions, recovery disagreements, and conditioning concerns left Pelinka searching for alternatives. The franchise needed an “alpha” for a future that might not include LeBron. That pressure accelerated internal conversations.
By December 2024, the Lakers quietly contacted teams to gauge interest in Davis. Boston held multiple calls with Los Angeles and delivered a five-word message that kept the door open: “We’ll keep it in mind.” The Bucks and Cavaliers also showed early intrigue. At that point, the Lakers weren’t ready to act, but they were ready to plan.
Preparing for Life After LeBron
The franchise knew LeBron could opt out. If he walked, trading Davis would create the foundation for a soft rebuild around future stars. Giannis Antetokounmpo sat (and still sits) high on the Lakers’ dream board. So did other emerging franchise players. Dončić stood right alongside them, even though the Lakers believed he would never leave Dallas.
They underestimated the turmoil inside the Mavericks. Harrison wasn’t committed to Dončić long-term, and Pelinka sensed an opening. Once the Lakers recognized that Dončić’s situation had cracked, every previous plan shifted. Momentum rushed forward. The Lakers no longer needed to wait for summer or revisit talks with Boston, Milwaukee, or Cleveland. The moment to strike was immediate.
So they struck. The Davis era ended, the Dončić era began, and the league watched a dynasty pivot in real time.
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