"Sounds like Jerry Jones on the Cowboys" - Kendrick Perkins subtly shades Jeanie Buss for spinning narrative to justify Lakers' Luka Doncic trade

This week, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss spoke with NPR.org for an interview where she discussed a wide range of topics. Given that the NBA community is still reeling from the blockbuster Anthony Davis-Luka Doncic trade, Buss was asked about the deal.

In response, she cited recent comments made by Davis about wanting to play the power forward position as one of the reasons why the deal worked out for both sides.

The way Kendrick Perkins sees things, Buss using AD's plea for a true center against him feels reminiscent of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. During Thursday's segment of "First Take," the analyst shared his thoughts on the matter with Stephen A. Smith.

"Jeanie Buss ... these comments on AD Sound like, Jerry Jones on the Cowboys," Perkins said. "She talk about how people want to be part of the Laker brand, one of the most historical franchises in sports. ... Anthony Davis wanted to win.

"Anthony Davis was saying, 'Hey, we won when I was at the power forward position. Don't knock me because I want a center.'"

With Anthony Davis now in Dallas, he has the chance to play power forward while players like Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II handle the duties of a center. As we saw in Davis' debut with Dallas, playing the four position seemed to immediately pay dividends, with AD putting on a stellar performance in debut for the Mavericks.

Kendrick Perkins believes unless Luka Doncic brings a title to LA, Jeanie Buss and the Lakers acquisition doesn't mean anything

Before the NBA Trade Deadline, the Lakers front office acquired Dorian Finney-Smith from Brooklyn, adding a defensive-minded wing to their roster. Despite that, Anthony Davis told Shams Charania that he believed the team would benefit from acquiring a true center.

In the wake of the team acquiring Luka Doncic, they have surged up the Western Conference standings, winning seven in a row. During that time, the team has also found its rhythm defensively, posting one of the best defensive ratings in the league.

While the team is now sitting in second place in the Western Conference, behind only the OKC Thunder, Kendrick Perkins believes that without a title, the added attention Luka Doncic brings means nothing.

"Now you have Luka Doncic. Is he going to sell tickets? Absolutely," Perkins said. "Is he going to sell jerseys? Absolutely. But at the end of the day, none of this even matter unless he brings a championship to Los Angeles, period. Anthony Davis delivered a championship to Los Angeles."

Given that Doncic is only 25 years old if the Lakers can hold onto him long-term, then the franchise has a pretty long runway to win a title.