Stephen A. Smith addressed Jeanie Buss' recent comments about trading Anthony Davis away because he was unhappy. The ESPN analyst was skeptical about Buss' comments, noting that the real reason they pulled the trigger on the trade was that they had a chance to land Luka Doncic. Had Doncic not been available, the Lakers wouldn't have been concerned about Davis' complaints.
"The bottom line is nobody's buying that. You didn't trade Anthony Davis because he was complaining. You traded Anthony Davis because you got a call that you could have Luka Doncic. If that hadn't presented itself, she wouldn't have given a damn about his complaints."
Smith is far from the only one who is skeptical about the inner workings of the trade. Buss, in another interview, admitted that both LeBron James and Anthony Davis were left in the dark over the trade. Anthony Davis recently spoke in an interview and admitted that he doesn't believe anyone in the organization didn't find out over the month-long negotiation period.
However, as much as Jeanie Buss will catch flack from fans and analysts for making this claim, no one in her position would have done otherwise. In fact, it is fair to say that every executive in the NBA would have made this trade to land Luka Doncic, who has the potential to be the face of the franchise and a superstar for over a decade.
When the deal was official, Buss was understandably excited, even showing no regret for giving up the haul that the Lakers did. And why shouldn't she be? This is a deal even a few months ago that no one thought was possible.
Why would any franchise give up a superstar with the potential to lead them to multiple NBA championships in exchange for an injury-prone All-Star player with just a few years of high-level basketball left in the tank? That's a question only Nico Harrison can answer, as he greenlit the deal on behalf of the Dallas Mavericks. Even former majority owner Mark Cuban openly admitted the Mavs got a poor package in return.
Despite a rough stretch to start, Luka has adapted to life in the purple and gold brilliantly. He had yet another brilliant performance last night against the New York Knicks, putting up 32 points (9-23 FG), seven rebounds, 12 assists, and four steals as he helped the Lakers defeat them 113-109.
Austin Reaves spoke after the game and explained how Doncic's killer mentality brings a whole new dynamic to their team, and they all feel far more motivated to win now that he is on their squad. Luka and LeBron James have formed one of the most dangerous partnerships in recent memory, as both stars seem to unlock a whole different dimension to each other's games.
The Lakers have a 12-2 record since trading for Doncic and a 9-2 record with Doncic on the court for the team. Clearly, something is going right between the two sides, and we hope to see it continue.
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