It was only a few years ago that Anthony Davis revealed a “secret” on national TV during his appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Show. Davis “confessed” to rounding down his real height because he didn’t want to play center. “When you 6’11 you gotta play center…I don’t like playing center so I like to stick to power forward,” said the then-Pelicans star. Reason? At 6’11, 254 lbs, Anthony Davis has no right to be as skilled as he is. But it’s because of this skill that AD can play in different positions on the basketball court. But the position the Mavericks star himself prefers is power forward. Or is it? He has finally spilled the beans.

In Dallas’ injury-laden season, the latest player to fall victim was Kai Jones during the Orlando Magic game on Thursday. Jones climbed the ladder to convert an alley-oop slam, which he eventually did, but he ended up falling on his back, which left him with a hip contusion. At the wake of this, Davis might see a significant change in his playing position.

To be precise, instead of his preferred power-forward position, he might have to play more in the center position. Notably, during his time with the Lakers, he had repeatedly spoken about playing in the four, and now, ironically, he is back to the center position. But it seems time has softened the former NBA champ’s stance on which position he’s playing in.

Davis spoke about this after the Magic game, reflecting on the different positions that he’s played in over the years. “Um, I feel comfortable in either position…I played four for six and a half years. Well, actually, I don’t know..say four and a half years in LA…I played five after that. And then tonight, when Kai went down, I was playing the five. So I’m comfortable in any position,” revealed AD. So is the former Lakers star hinting at any position? Might not, as he also told the media, what really matters to him and why he’ll play in any position.

 “But, I mean, there are advantages in each position, you know, when I play offensively and defensively. So, you know, wherever J Kidd needs me to play,” added AD. He also had some words of wisdom for his teammates. “Every game is different but we know who’s on the floor. We’re going to fight, we’re going to defend, we’re going to play hard and give ourselves a chance to win,” said AD. And Jason Kidd would love to have such a leader in the locker room, considering the tough spot the Mavs are in right now.

However, there is no denying that there has always been confusion about AD’s position. Back in 2023, this was evident when had said Los Angeles Times, “S—, who knows. I’m still trying to figure it out. I am a ‘big man.’ There you go. I am a big that plays basketball.” In the season prior to this, the LA roster had listed Davis as power forward but he played center in the 54 regular-season game.

Leaving all this behind, the change in AD’s attitude will surely be a welcome surprise for Jason Kidd and Nico Harrison, given with the dearth of options the Dallas Mavericks are facing at the 5. Moreover, GM Harrison did call AD “an All-Defensive center” when the he explained why he pursued the trade. However, unlike them, there’s one person in the Lakers front office who will feel wronged by AD’s sudden change of heart. And that’s Lakers owner, Jeanie Buss.

Jeanie Buss revealed Anthony Davis’ complaints, did that force the trade?

The Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade came as a shock to everyone, not just to players but to everyone who has an interest in the NBA. But while Luka Doncic had every right to be shocked, things aren’t so simple when it comes to AD. It seems Jeanie Buss had every intention of keeping Anthony Davis at the Lakers. But she seemingly grew frustrated with Davis’ repeated complaints about the players surrounding him and the position he was forced to play.

Buss got candid during a tell-all appearance on the morning edition of NPR. In it, she revealed how AD’s frustrations forced her to make this difficult call. “Anthony Davis was complaining about where he was being played and he wasn’t happy. So I think this was a positive for both teams. They got what they were looking for; we got what we were looking for,” said Buss.

If Anthony Davis had kept quiet, perhaps he would still be wearing the Purple and Gold. Who knows? But so far, Jeanie Buss’ decision to get AD out of LA for Luka has proven fruitful for the Lakers. As for AD, well, maybe even he doesn’t know the reason behind his trade. At the end of the day, without having heard his side, all we can do is speculate. As Kidd said, “He has the advantage, no matter what four,” Jason Kidd said about Davis playing power forward. “He always has the advantage.” We’re all excited to see how Jason Kidd uses Anthony Davis now that he’s healthy. And there’s no debating that!