Lakers Didn't Plan to Give Anthony Davis New Contract, Leading to Luka Doncic Trade: Report

Ricardo Sandoval | Feb 2, 2025

Jan 25, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) dribbles against the Golden State Warriors during the second quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off the biggest trade of all trades, regardless of the sport. 

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The Lakers acquired Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Anthony Davis. 

This move created shockwaves in the NBA world, especially for Maverick and Lakers fans. 

While Davis will be missed in Los Angeles, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports reported that the Lakers did not plan on extending Davis next season even though he would have been eligible. 

Goodwill shared via X and in his latest column. 

The Lakers weren’t going to extend Anthony Davis next summer, sources tell ⁦@YahooSports⁩. And the Mavs didn’t want to give Luka $350M. Are the days of just super maxing out guys “just because” over? Is the landscape changing? https://t.co/ARMVAiTxaG

— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) February 2, 2025

Davis, 31, was viewed as a cornerstone player for the Lakers in the present and future; however, the Lakers did not think so. 

When the opportunity of possibly acquiring Dončić hit their doorstep, the Lakers thought it was a no-brainer to go younger with a player who will not be Davis' age till Feb. 2030.

Davis was always thought to lead the Lakers into the post-LeBron James era; however, questions about Davis' age and durability were a genuine concern. 

Davis will turn 32 in March and has a long and extensive injury history. Luckily, he has not suffered any significant injuries in his career, but he has suffered through a ton, especially during his Lakers tenure. 

Although Davis is an incredible big man and future Hall of Famer, the Lakers traded him for a 25-year-old player who will help them now and certainly for the next seven to ten years if all goes well. 

Mavericks manager Nico Harrison spoke to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News and touched about his decision to move for the five-time All-Star. 

"We really feel like we got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the supermax and also a year away from him being able to opt out of any contract," Harrison said. "And so we really felt like we got out in front of that. We know teams, they've had it out there, teams have been loading up to try to sign him once that comes available."

The Lakers didn't believe in Davis in the long term, and neither did the Mavericks with Dončić. 

Both teams get what they want. 

As for the player's side, Davis gets what he wants: to play the four position and a chance to win now. 

As for Dončić, he plays for an elite franchise and will now play alongside arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, LeBron James.

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