Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Lakers shouldn't ignore Anthony Davis if they want to keep him around

By Adam Taylor | Last updated Jan 28, 2025 4:21 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers last won a championship in 2020. During that postseason run, Anthony Davis shared the court with Dwight Howard. Davis has often spoken of his preference to play next to an additional big man. However, in recent years, the Lakers have opted to deploy him as the lone big in their rotation.

Recently, Davis applied some pressure to the Lakers front office. He told ESPN's Shams Charania that he believes the Purple and Gold need another reliable center in their rotation.

“I think we need another big,” Davis said. “I feel like I’ve always been at my best when I’ve been the four, having a big out there. We know it worked when we won a championship with JaVale [McGee] and Dwight [Howard] at the five and I’m at the four.”

Lakers' Anthony Davis sits down for ESPN: “One, we want to win it for the city. Two, we never got a parade. Three, it’s a lot of talk about an asterisk … We are (1-2 pieces away). I really feel like we are.”

On roster needs, JJ Redick, motivations alongside LeBron James, more: pic.twitter.com/AHe6pfHxjB
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 24, 2025

Unfortunately, it would appear Davis isn't going to get his wish. Over the past few weeks, the Lakers have been linked with veteran centers such as Jakob Poeltl and Nikola Vucevic. However, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Lakers are unlikely to trade for either center due to the cost of acquiring them and their cap hit.

"League sources stressed over the weekend that the Lakers are not expected to join the hunt for either Vučević or Toronto's Jakob Poeltl ... while oft-suggested Lakers target Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz is believed to (be) as close to unavailable as it gets with less than 10 days to go before the trade deadline on Feb. 6 at 3 PM ET," Stein reported via his newsletter on Sunday.

If the Lakers are ruling out Walker Kessler, Poeltl and Vucevic, the only viable option left is Jonas Valanciunas. In truth, though, it doesn't matter which of these bigs the Lakers acquire. It's just important that they make moves to add one of them.

LeBron James is in the final year or two of his NBA career. Davis has already stepped into a primary offensive role for the Lakers and will be their star player moving forward. By not giving him the additional center he craves, the Lakers risk alienating Davis and thus jeopardizing their future stability.

Rob Pelinka has the assets to bring a big man to the Lakers. He's also known for making waves at the trade deadline. As such, it's worthwhile to keep a close eye on the Lakers over the next week or so, as their decision-making could directly impact Davis' long-term happiness with the franchise.

Adam Taylor

Adam Taylor is a sports journalist based out of the UK. Adam has been covering the NBA for nearly a decade with a core focus on the Boston Celtics. He currently holds bylines with Yardbarker, SB Nation and USA Today

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