The pressure is still on for the Lakers to make another move. After a trade with Brooklyn to add wing depth, the team’s weaknesses are still evident, and many point to the fact they’re one or two pieces away from true title contention. Anthony Davis recently added more fuel to the fire with recent comments to ESPN, while new reporting suggests the Lakers have taken a relaxed mentality when it comes to the trade market.
Lakers, Davis Far From Same Page on Trade Deadline Desires
Davis Puts Pressure on Pelinka, Lakers Front Office
Davis joined ESPN’s Shams Charania for a sitdown interview prior to the Lakers-Celtics game Thursday night. He reflected on the 2019-20 championship team and believes this year’s roster is somewhat close to reaching those same heights.
Davis: “I think our ‘19-20 team was the perfect construction of a team. We had shooters, we had dawgs defensively, we had scorers. Everybody knew their role.”
Charania: “Sounds to me like you’re saying you guys are a couple of pieces away.”
Davis: “We are. We are, though. I really feel like we are.”
He then doubled down on his remarks following LA’s win over Boston, reiterating his desire to play power forward instead of center. It was a not-so-subtle shot at Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office to grant his wish after years of battling with other bigs. Since the Lakers’ opening night in 2021-22—when Davis became LA’s full-time center—AD has averaged 24.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.2 blocks per game.
AD on the biggest advantage when he plays the 4: “I just feel more effective. The front office knows that, I told them that every year I've been here… I feel like personally I'm a better player at the 4.” pic.twitter.com/fjyx3n8tvp
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 24, 2025
Windhorst: Lakers Lack Aggression on Trade Front
It seems even with public pressure from Davis and LeBron James, the Lakers don’t hold the same aggressive mentality when it comes to making improvements to the roster. In evaluating the latest developments ahead of the deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noted the Lakers have shown “little aggression” when it comes to looking for trades, reluctant to part with—you guessed it—the team’s future first-round picks.
“The Lakers’ recent discussions with teams show little sign of aggression, sources say, and those actions speak to their concern level about their stars at the moment,” Windhorst wrote. “The Lakers have shown a reticence to put their future first-round picks into trades in recent seasons, and there’s no indication that position has shifted.”
All of Rob Pelinka’s talk about finding the best deal—and seemingly not resting until it’s done—has gone out the window with every passing moment the Lakers don’t pounce on acquiring help. The team still needs to not only alleviate Davis’s concerns with center depth, but also shore up the guard slot. Previous reports have mentioned their interest in doing both, but interest does not equate to action.
Going back to Davis’s concerns, the Lakers have expressed interest in Walker Kessler, Robert Williams III, and Jonas Valanciunas all season long. The only problems? There is no progress on talks involving Valanciunas, no updates on a pursuit of Williams, and no change in the asking price for Kessler—only that Danny Ainge has set the bar at an all-time high.
The Last Word
Through all of the rumors, one thing is clear: time is ticking. The trade deadline is less than two weeks away, and the Lakers have yet to address their biggest concern—both literally and figuratively. A blowout win against your biggest rival doesn’t erase the need for a trade. The sooner Lakers executives realize that, the sooner they can find pieces that fit their puzzle.
