Getty Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers speaks with LeBron James.
LeBron James is fed up with Anthony Davis, per a new report, sparking some talk about the Los Angeles Lakers potentially trading the All-Star big man.
Davis landed with the Lakers in 2019 and it didn’t take long for the move to pay dividends. James and Davis led the Lakers to the 2020 title and the partnership between the two stars was tremendous.
More recently, things have not gone as swimmingly. Both Davis and James have dealt with injuries, bringing into question if they can be a core of a championship team. CBS Sports NBA insider Bill Reiter has heard rumblings that James has grown frustrated with Davis and is open to going another direction with his co-star.
“I’ve heard he’s over Anthony Davis. He’s frustrated with the guy. He doesn’t believe in his toughness for obvious reasons,” Reiter said during an appearance on the Zach Gelb Show. “But I’m extremely curious if the Lakers — I don’t think they will — but do anything really bold and maybe move AD. I’m not saying they’re going to, I’m just saying, LeBron is angry and he doesn’t believe in AD as his No. 2. I think LA is under a lot of pressure from LeBron.”
Lakers Do Not Want to Trade Anthony Davis
.@sportsreiter has heard LeBron James is frustrated and is over Anthony Davis.
Full Zach Gelb Show on @CBSSportsRadio with Bill Reiter here: t.co/h84M7WlMuj
Moving Davis would be an NBA landscape-shifting move. He’s still elite when healthy, which he showed multiple times during the Lakers’ postseason run. However, the soon-to-be 39-year-old James has limited time left to chase titles and can’t have a season derailed by an injury to Davis.
There’s also the fact that the Lakers likely don’t want to trade Davis and general manager Rob Pelinka has built up enough credibility in the building to say no to James’ alleged demand.
“I think there’s a 3.5 percent chance [of the trade happening],” Reiter said. “If Rob Pelinka hadn’t pulled off such a really impressive plate of moves at the trade deadline and brought in these random guys that became not so random and made the Lakers team that obviously made the Conference Finals, my percentage would be higher. There’s a bit of a power struggle, or political struggle, going on between LeBron and Pelinka.
“I don’t think Pelinka is just going to bow down to what LeBron wants, especially moving on from Anthony Davis. But I do think LeBron is over AD and I think there’s not 0 percent chance or something like that could happen.”
Lakers See LeBron James, Anthony Davis as Pillars
Pelinka expressed a very clear plan for the future after the Lakers were bounced from the postseason, with James and Davis positioned to serve as the team’s core.
“LeBron and AD as two pillars is, you know, to us an unmatched combination that will continue to lean into and build around,” Pelinka said. “Both incredibly high-character players that want to win (and) play the game the right way. We’re proud of that combination of superstars and want to continue to invest in that and invest in advancing the growth we had this year into next season.”
Pelinka and the Lakers’ front office have some work ahead of them this offseason to put the right pieces around their two stars. Some key decisions they’ll have to make are with restricted free agents Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, as well as D’Angelo Russell (unrestricted free agent), Malik Beasley (team option) and others.