Anthony Davis was poised to be one of the Los Angeles Lakers' premier players for years to come after he joined the team in 2019 through a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.

At first, the pairing of LeBron James and Davis was paying dividends and resulted in a championship in 2020, but things unraveled quickly from there on out. Davis struggled with injuries and missed double-digit game totals in all but one of his seasons in Los Angeles. 

These issues eventually culminated in the end of Davis' time in Los Angeles, which came about through the league-shattering trade that sent Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Dončić. 

To say that the trade was shocking would be an understatement. Now, with both players in their first full seasons with their new teams, Dončić has been lighting up the court and making fast friendships with his teammates, while Davis has already landed on the injured list for an extensive time.

A New Report Indicates a Breakdown Between Davis and Lakers

New information has come to light regarding Davis' relationship with the Lakers near the end of his time there, specifically when it comes to how he was handling his persistent injury troubles. A report by Brett Siegel of Clutch Points revealed that friction grew between Davis and Los Angeles in the seasons following the 2020 championship, when his injury trouble accelerated. 

"Throughout these three years... internal concerns about the way Davis took care of his body began to loom large," multiple league sources told ClutchPoints. "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."

Communication between the Lakers and Davis appeared to break down as well, and the team grew dissatisfied with Davis' conditioning, or lack thereof, which could have been contributing to Davis' frequent injuries.

Fitness Frustrations

"In the offseason, Davis wouldn't always communicate with the Lakers, sources said, and his fitness levels entering training camps were said to be 'well below average."

Davis appeared to finally push the Lakers to the brink with his refusal to play the center position and instead play more as a power forward. Per the Clutch Points report, Davis' team supported this move to keep the big man healthier and reduce wear and tear on his body, and Davis reportedly pushed the team to make trades for a center to fill the void. 

This friction also put doubt in the minds of the Lakers' front office would be ready to be the face of the franchise, a position that would be necessary whenever James would leave the team, either through retirement or a departure to a new franchise.

Taking that into consideration, the Lakers were looking for ways to secure their future, either through the means of a rebuild or the acquisition of another star, the result that came about with the acquisition of Dončić. 

It was a rocky road that led Davis to Dallas, though it appears it was a long time coming.