Lakers owner Jeanie Buss doesn't mince words on Anthony Davis publicly demanding a center- "Lost 3 years in a row to Denver" 

Laker owner Jeanie Buss spoke for the first time about former star Anthony Davis publicly demanding the team to trade for a center right before he got shipped to the Dallas Mavericks. In an interview released on Jan. 23 by ESPN's Shams Charania, Davis called out the franchise for not pursuing the moves he wanted them to make over the past four years, especially with adding a reliable big man next to him.

Davis believed the Lakers were a piece or two away if they moved him back to the power forward position as they did in the 2020 championship season when he was paired with JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard. However, the Lakers were working on an entirely different deal in the background that would see Luka Doncic land in LA a week later.

Reports emerged that the Lakers weren't pleased with Davis going public with his demand. Jeanie Buss revisited that moment during an interview with Texas Public Radio, where she seemingly called out her former player for it, saying:

"We have lost the last three years in a row to the Denver Nuggets in the playoffs, and we really didn't have anything that was going to look different going into the playoffs again. Anthony Davis was complaining about where he was being played and he wasn't happy. So I think this was a positive for both teams."

"They got what they were looking for; we got what we were looking for. And I didn't realize it was going to be international news like it was, but that's the power of the Laker brand and its ability to draw big names who want to write their own chapter in Lakers history."

Anthony Davis eventually got to play at the four. The only issue was that it wasn't in a Lakers uniform. He went to a team with not one but two starting-caliber centers, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. He started his first game at the four since the 2021-22 season on Feb. 8, when he made his franchise debut. Davis has been injured since, dealing with a left adductor strain.

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Nearly trading for Mark Williams proves Jeanie Buss and Co. didn't believe in Anthony Davis anymore

While moving on from an All-NBA caliber star like Anthony Davis was a big deal, it wasn't that difficult for the Lakers, considering they were getting a much younger and more talented centerpiece in 25-year-old Luka Doncic. The Slovenian had just as many All-NBA nods as Davis (five) in his seven-year career. Davis had the same in 13 seasons.

It was seemingly evident that Jeanie Buss and the Lakers brass were iffy about Davis as the franchise centerpiece once LeBron James left. It was probably one of the major reasons they went four years without adding a dependable five-man next to the 10x All-Star.

However, it didn't take long for the Lakers to do it once new superstar Luka Doncic asked for it. They pursued Mark Williams and got the trade through until they voided it at the last minute. Williams apparently failed his physical, and LA rescinded the move.

Nevertheless, the intent to sharpen the team around Luka Doncic was quick and something LA was hesitant to do when Anthony Davis led the team. The Lakers nearly exhausted all their assets in the Williams move by moving a 2031 first-round pick, a 2030 first-round pick swap, and rookie Dalton Knecht as the major pieces.