Saturday’s jaw-dropping, late night NBA trade that sent five-time first-team All-NBA Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka DonÄiÄ to the Los Angeles Lakers for three-time All-NBA first-teamer Anthony Davis caught even industry insiders by surprise.
One Western Conference executive told ESPN that the trade was “unfathomable.” An Eastern Conference exec told the network, “I’m stunned.”
NBA players were no less shocked by the DonÄiÄ-Davis trade news. Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker called the move “crazy.” Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers posted “HUH!!!!” on his X (formerly Twitter) account. The New Orleans Pelicans’ CJ McCollum wrote on his account that he was now concerned about being traded himself.
“Gotta pack them bags just in case nowadays,” McCollum wrote. “If the Don got traded only lord knows.”
Davis Was Once Possibly Boston-Bound
But in Boston, home of the reigning NBA champion Celtics, shock over the headline-grabbing deal quickly gave way to a sense of deja vu. Celtics fans and media flashed back to a time six years ago when they believed that Davis, then a six-time All-Star with the New Orleans Pelicans, could imminently become a Celtic.
Davis had publicly requested a trade out of New Orleans â the team that made him the NBA’s No. 1 overall draft pick, out of Kentucky, in 2012 but finished over .500 only twice in the seven years Davis was there â and stated that he wanted to play for the Los Angeles Lakers. But Celtics then-president of basketball operations Danny Ainge was determined to acquire Davis and even believed he could sign the 6’10”, 253-pounder to a long-term extension.
Ainge believed Davis would not be able to resist the prospect of being teamed with Kyrie Irving, then a Celtic, for what would appear to be a championship combo along with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
But Davis’s father, Anthony Davis Sr., did not see it that way and in an interview with ESPN appeared to ban his son from moving to the Celtics. The elder Davis referred to the Celtics 2017 trade of fan favorite Isaiah Thomas to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for Irving even after Thomas had led Boston on an against-all-odds run to the Eastern Conference Finals the previous season.
“I would never want my son to play for Boston after what they done to Isaiah Thomas,” Davis Sr. told ESPN. “No loyalty. Guy gives his heart and soul and they traded him. This is just my opinion, not Anthony’s. I’ve just seen things over the years with Boston, and there’s no loyalty.”
Celtics Fans ‘Kept the Receipts’
But on Saturday Davis Jr. was blindsided by the trade to Dallas â where he will be teamed with Irving after all â despite six years of service to the Lakers including helping to bring the franchise its 17th NBA championship in 2020. Davis made two All-Star teams and was a 2024 All-NBA second team selection while with the Lakers. Celtics fans remembered his father’s disparaging remarks about their home team and were ready with some instant karma.
“Well well well. How the turntables⦔ quipped the Boston Diehards X account after the trade, along with a screenshot of Davis Sr.’s “no loyalty” remarks from six years earlier.
“Lmao Anthony Davis sr must of fallen off his chair,” wrote another Celtics fan on the social media platform.
“Celtics fans kept the receipts Mr. Anthony Davis SR.,” wrote yet another, Aaron Lopez, along with the same screenshot.
“Don’t let the door hit ya where the Lord split ya Mr Davis,” commented a Reddit user, in a thread about the elder Davis’s 2019 remarks.
Celtics fans were also quick to note that the third team in the trade, the one that made the move possible by agreeing to take on Lakers’ reserve guard Jalen Hood-Schinfo, was the Utah Jazz. The president of basketball operations for Utah, whose green light was required to seal the deal? Danny Ainge.
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