Anthony Davis
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The Lakers discussed a potential Anthony Davis trade with the Celtics before they sent him to the Mavericks
The Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks pulled off their massive blockbuster trade involving Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis months ago, but the league is still reeling from the impact of this trade. Case in point, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison was fired earlier this week for his role in putting this deal together.
It was obviously a no-brainer for the Lakers to trade Davis for Doncic, but they didn’t make this trade just because it fell in their lap. Instead, reports have emerged indicating that L.A. was shopping Davis for several months, and it led to the front office discussing a potential deal with their hated rival, the Boston Celtics.
Lakers Talked Anthony Davis Trade with Celtics
For much of Davis’ tenure, it seemed like a match made in heaven. Davis solidified the frontcourt alongside his running mate, LeBron James, and after winning a championship in 2020, it felt like competing for a title was a legitimate goal for the team every year. Injuries were obviously an issue for Davis, but when he was on the court, he was one of the best players in the league.
Tension between Davis and the team began to rise over his health and fitness issues, though, which led to the front office shopping him around the league. The Lakers were concerned with Davis’ propensity for getting hurt, and they felt that he didn’t take his fitness as seriously as he should at times.
While he ended up landing with the Mavericks, for a point in time, it appeared as if the Boston Celtics were a serious suitor for Davis. According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Celtics were one of the first teams the Lakers discussed a potential Davis trade with, despite the longstanding rivalry between the two franchises.
“Of the teams that the Lakers spoke with when they were first putting out feelers for Davis, the Boston Celtics held a couple of calls with Los Angeles, sources said,” Siegel reported. “Nothing ever progressed to where there was any actual momentum, but Los Angeles was receiving signals that Brad Stevens and his front office were receptive to the idea.
The five-word message the Lakers got back from Boston was enough to let them know they would consider such a move in the summer: “We’ll keep it in mind.” It is worth noting that the Celtics were next to the Lakers in terms of pursuing Davis when he was traded from the Pelicans in 2019.”
Should the Lakers Have Traded Anthony Davis to the Celtics?
Anthony Davis
GettyThe Lakers’ concerns about Anthony Davis health and fitness led to them exploring trades for him
The simple answer to this question is no, but it’s worth noting that there was a point in time when it wasn’t always a guarantee that Doncic would be on the table. What sort of trade package the Celtics would have offered remains unknown, but they did just trade Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis over the offseason, so it’s fair to assume those guys could have been a part of Boston’s offer.
Once Doncic ended up being on the table, though, no team was ever going to be able to match the Mavericks’ offer. The C’s were obviously never going to trade Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown for Davis, because it simply would have made no sense. Heck, trading Doncic for Davis doesn’t make much sense, but that’s probably why Brad Stevens and Rob Pelinka still have jobs instead of Harrison right now.