“We were not looking to trade Anthony Davis”: Los Angeles Lakers boss Jeanie Buss echoes subtle regret of letting 10x NBA All-Star go

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times— for the Los Angeles Lakers? Not really. The Dallas Mavericks were at the receiving end of the trouble following the Luka Doncic trade in exchange for Anthony Davis. However, for the Lakers, letting Davis go was not an easy decision. In a recent interview, the Lakers' boss, Jeanie Buss, candidly shared how hard it was for them to let go of the 10-time NBA All-Star while revealing why the secret of the trade was the utmost necessity.

The Anthony Davis- Luka Doncic trade was a shockwave that no one in the league, even the insiders, saw coming. Of course, it still echoes debate among fans, especially concerning the Dallas Mavericks gamble, but the Lakers were not entirely out of regret. The Lakers president and governor Jeanie Buss has recently shared her thoughts on the whole ordeal.
"I said what's the most important is that if the conversations [about the trade] become public, it could blow up our season. Because now you have a player who thinks they're gonna get traded, it's hard for them to recalibrate. It was completely kept under wraps, and I think that's why it took everybody by such surprise." Buss said.

Explaining the expense of the trade, Buss continued, "Look what we had to give up, though. Anthony Davis, we won a championship [with him]. Do you know how hard that was? We were not looking to trade Anthony Davis. Dallas contacted us. And [Davis] had been making it clear that he wasn't happy, that he was having to play the [center]. He wanted to play the [power forward]."
But at the end of the day, it was all business and keeping the roster packed with star performers. Certainly, Doncic came with certain perks, including his age factor. Bringing Doncic proved to be a huge win for the Lakers, as they have had a good series of matches since the arrival of the 26-year-old Slovenian star.
"I think we need to get the right players around him," Buss said of Doncic. "It's very interesting to watch him play with LeBron. We don't have enough of a sample size yet. Wow, this kid can pass the ball. He sees the game like no one I've ever [seen]. I really had no idea how great of a mind he has for basketball."
She added, "The timeline started — just because you'll never forget that day — on Jan. 7. The Lakers were in Dallas. At that point, our GM, Rob Pelinka, was at the game, and he met with the GM of the Dallas team. And then, Rob thought about it for a day and then came to me and said, 'Here's something that was kind of talked about.' A framework. And I said, 'I hope you told him that we're not trading Anthony Davis.' We are not trading him. Then we talked more and more, [and] we figured out a framework that could work."
Also Read: Anthony Davis Struggles with Sudden Trade, Injury Woes and Adjusting to a New Team Without His Family
It appears that both teams got what they wanted. Davis has yet to show his A-game in the Mavericks, as he is sidelined due to injury and his absence has been a huge concern for the Mavericks as the team struggles to assert their dominance in the league. As for Doncic, he has been making solid contributions after his adjustment period in the Lakers.