The Los Angeles Lakers shocked the NBA last season when they pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks for superstar guard Luka Doncic. While the Lakers’ landing Doncic was the headline from this trade, it’s also worth noting that there was quite a bit of shock surrounding the team’s decision to part with Anthony Davis as part of this deal.
While some trade rumors had been swirling around Davis, his relationship with LeBron James led many folks to believe that there was a very small chance he would actually end up getting traded. According to a recent report, though, Los Angeles had actually been shopping Davis for months before it sent him to Dallas, and it appears as if there was one key reason why the team wanted to move on from the All-NBA big man.
Lakers’ Concerns Over Anthony Davis’ Health, Fitness Led to Stunning Trade
When Davis has been healthy, he’s been one of the most impactful players of his generation in the NBA. Davis is a 10-time All-Star who has earned five All-NBA First Team selections, but most importantly, he helped the Lakers win the NBA Finals in 2020. The only real issue with Davis throughout his career has been his health.
During his time with Los Angeles, Davis missed at least 20 games in all but one season, and his inability to stay on the court made it difficult for the front office to build a title contender around him and James. When he was healthy, he was a star, but the lack of availability gradually began to wear on the Lakers.
Trading Davis for Doncic is a no-brainer move, but it turns out that L.A. had been interested in moving on from the talented big man well before this deal materialized. According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Lakers were becoming increasingly concerned with Davis’ health and fitness, thanks in large part to the two sides frequently not being on the same page in that department.
“Throughout these three years, in which Davis was constantly in and out of the lineup as a result of many injuries, internal concerns about the way Davis took care of his body began to loom large, multiple league sources told ClutchPoints,” Siegel reported. “There were points before the 2024-25 season when Davis’ side and his representation would not see eye to eye with how the Lakers wanted to handle his injury recovery and prevention.
In the offseason, Davis wouldn’t always communicate with the Lakers, sources said, and his fitness levels entering training camps, including before the 2024-25 season, were said to be “well below average.”
Anthony Davis Could Be on the Move Again Just Months After Lakers Trade
GettyAnthony Davis #3 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the anthem before a preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers at T-Mobile Arena on October 15, 2025
The fallout from the Doncic-Davis trade has been hard to miss. After dealing with backlash from fans for months, the Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison earlier in the week, and trade rumors have once again begun to swirl around Davis. Just months after getting dealt by the Lakers, Davis could conceivably be on the move again in the near future.
Los Angeles already won this trade without even considering its concerns about Davis, which led to the front office shopping him in the first place. However, this deal looks even better for the team considering all that we know now. Not to mention, Doncic appears to have taken his game to another level this season, which will surely make the Lakers happy. So while Dallas is falling apart, things have never been better for L.A.
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