The Los Angeles Lakers are arguably the biggest franchise in the NBA. One of the biggest reasons behind that status of the organization is the fact that they have 17 NBA Championship banners hanging in the rafters.
Now, winning NBA titles is not an easy task by any means, but the fact that the Lakers have done it 17 times proves how well the team is managed. Obviously, the team wouldn’t have been anywhere as successful as they are today without quality players.
Due to the Lakers being a big-market team, the franchise has mostly relied on luring big-name free agents to the team instead of relying on the NBA Draft. Over the years, many superstars such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, and LeBron James have joined the Lakers in free agency.
But the Lakers are also aware of the value of trading for quality players, and one of the biggest trades the team has made in recent years was for Anthony Davis.
Jeanie Buss Reveals She Gave The Green Light For The Anthony Davis Trade
Following Kobe Bryant’s retirement in 2016, the Lakers were in one of the worst places in the history of the franchise. They were consecutively missing playoffs, but when LeBron James decided to sign with the team in 2018, a ray of hope emerged for the Laker Nation.
In fact, on day one of signing for the Lakers, James was welcomed to the Lakers family by none other than Kobe himself. Anyway, the Lakers were still one superstar away from becoming a championship contender, and that came when the organization indulged in a blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis.
In the final episode of the Lakers’ docuseries on Hulu, Jeanie Buss revealed it was her decision to finally green-lit the trade for AD.
Jeanie Buss says it was her decision to ultimately trade for @AntDavis23 before the 2019-20 season. #LakersNation #LakersDoc #NBATwitter #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/QuwCCOlatO
— Landon Buford (@LandonBuford) October 10, 2022
“It was a moment of truth. In order to get a great talent like Anthony Davis, you have to give up great talent, and ultimately, it was my decision to push the button.”
In order to acquire Anthony Davis, the Lakers gave up Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, De’Andre Hunter, one draft pick swap, and two future first-round draft picks as well.
It felt like the Lakers gave up too much to acquire AD, who had a history of injury troubles. But at the end of the day, the gamble worked as the Lakers ended up winning the 2020 NBA Championship.
