BREAKING: Anthony Davis trade continues to haunt the Lakers as another draft pick goes out
Anthony Davis was worth the investment, but the Lakers are still facing a daunting reality.
When the Los Angeles Lakers traded for Anthony Davis in 2019, the cost of doing business was destined to impact them for years to come. That's inevitably come to pass, as the Lakers have lost yet another first-round pick. Thankfully, it was the last of the selections they shipped out.
With the final pick lost via the Davis trade, the Brooklyn Nets selected Drake Powell at No. 22 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
The details of the trade had effectively been finalized via the New Orleans Pelicans' trade for Dejounte Murray. New Orleans sent the 2025 first-rounder it received in exchange for Davis to the Hawks, thus bringing Murray back to what's become an injury-plagued roster.
Atlanta then sent the No. 22 pick to the Nets in a deal that centered around bring Kristaps Porzingis into a lineup led by Trae Young and Jalen Johnson.
The Lakers, meanwhile, are searching for paths to improvement that enable them to work around their lack of financial flexibility. Their 2025 second-round draft pick is their only second-rounder through 2031, and they'll be without first-round choices in 2025, 2027, and 2029.
The silver lining, of course, is that the Davis trade brought about years of success that soften the blow of the issues the Lakers are soon to encounter.
Anthony Davis trade officially completed as Nets draft Drake Powell
It's difficult to view the Davis trade in a negative light when one considers all that it gifted the Lakers. For one, the All-NBA center was nothing short of dominant during Los Angeles' run to the championship in 2019-20.
Davis then helped the Lakers reach the 2023 Western Conference Finals and was the centerpiece of the package Rob Pelinka offered for Luka Doncic.
In that respect, there's no scenario in which Los Angeles would take the trade back. 2020 is the franchise's only championship season since 2010, and Davis' defensive brilliance and offensive proficiency anchored their efforts.
The 2023 run to the Conference Finals was also the Lakers' only other trip to the NBA semifinal since 2010, thus revealing how Davis helped Los Angeles mask 15 years of otherwise erratic displays.
Furthermore, trading Davis for Doncic has given the Lakers a chance to reshape their future. LeBron James is 40 and closer to retirement than the organization might hope, and Doncic is a 26-year-old superstar who already has a scoring title and five All-NBA First Team nods on his résumé.
Furthermore, Doncic led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals as recently as 2024 and already has two runs to the Conference Finals to his name.
The hurdle in front of Pelinka and the Lakers is finding a way to navigate their limited resources in the NBA Draft. Acquiring cost-efficient talent has become an essential part of building a contender, and the annual selection process is a sustainable path toward achieving that goal.
Los Angeles can at least rest easy knowing that the outgoing assets from the trade for Davis can no longer limit their pursuit of sustainable excellence.