Lakers' Anthony Davis doubles down on center addition request to front office

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The Los Angeles Lakers picked up their biggest win of the season on Thursday night, but Anthony Davis is still not fully satisfied with his role. The team’s 117-96 win over the Boston Celtics occurred roughly two weeks ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline, giving Davis a chance to re-voice his desire for the Lakers to acquire a true center.

Davis, who has been starting at center for most of 2024-2025, told reporters after the game that he still feels like a natural power forward and prefers playing in that role. He did not directly push Rob Pelinka for a trade but made his wishes abundantly clear.

“Defensively, [adding a center] would bring another big out there,” Davis told reporters after the game. “We’ve seen it with Jaxson [Hayes]. We’re a little more disruptive. Offensively, it allows me to float around a little more. I only started playing [center] in 2021. I’d have stretches, but I was primarily a [power forward], so my whole career I’ve been playing the four… I feel like, personally, I’m a better player at the four.”

AD on the biggest advantage when he plays the 4: "I just feel more effective. The front office knows that, I told them that every year I've been here… I feel like personally I'm a better player at the 4." pic.twitter.com/fjyx3n8tvp

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 24, 2025

Davis’ post-game comments came one day after ESPN released a feature on his thoughts on the team midway through the season. The piece focused on his conversation with Shams Charania, in which he directly said he believes the Lakers need a true center to win another championship.

Since the Lakers acquired Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019, he has continued to repeat this same opinion. His request urged Los Angeles to obtain DeMarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee in the same offseason in which they traded for Davis.

Since then, the Lakers have attempted to keep a traditional center on their roster but entered 2024-2025 without one to supplement Davis. The team had hoped Christian Wood would be the answer, but the 29-year-old has yet to make his season debut. Los Angeles has reportedly been seeking trades as the deadline nears, including a failed pursuit of Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler.

Anthony Davis’ success as Lakers center in 2024-2025

Davis may prefer playing power forward, but he is currently enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. His 25.6 points per game are the fifth-best of his 13-year career, and his 11.8 rebounds per game are on track to be his fourth-best season-long average.

Davis led the Lakers to their massive win over the Celtics, posting a team-high 24 points. He added eight rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal. Defensively, Davis helped limit the Celtics to just 36 points in the paint.

A significant part of the reason the Lakers have used Davis as a stretch-five is to allow LeBron James to play power forward. As he ages, James is still the same offensive player but has slowed considerably on defense. Their current lineup allows Rui Hachimura to take perimeter defensive assignments and allows James to conserve himself against low-usage shooters. Adding another big man to the lineup would force James to take more on-ball matchups.

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