Overview
- Davis says he told the Los Angeles Lakers before the 2025 trade deadline that the team needed a true center and that he wanted to play more at power forward.
- He told the 'Numbers On The Board' podcast that strength training to face elite centers pushed his weight to about 265–268 pounds and left him feeling 'heavy,' and that cutting weight during the season proved difficult.
- The Lakers explored a Mark Williams deal that was later rescinded before they moved on from Davis in a blockbuster trade in late February 2025 that brought Luka Dončić to Los Angeles.
- Around 18 months after Davis' initial request, the Lakers acquired center Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade that cost multiple first-round picks and pick swaps to fill the frontcourt need Davis had flagged.
- Now with the Washington Wizards and slated to play power forward, Davis says he remains frustrated the Lakers did not act sooner, a gap that helped set the stage for both his move and the Lakers' new Doncic era.