Bash the Lakers all you want, but Jeanie Buss was never looking to move Anthony Davis. “He was our rock-solid player,” the Lakers controlling owner said. The Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis trade is one for the decade that could change the fate of both the Lakers and Mavericks. You do not trade a player of Davis’ caliber who has already established his feet in Los Angeles. But Buss had no option once she saw the opportunity to get a generational talent in Doncic. But there is more to this story than meets our eyes.

Back when Dr. Jerry Buss bought the Lakers, he knew that keeping superstars happy was the secret sauce for championships. He built his legacy on making sure his stars never felt the urge to leave. They locked in Magic Johnson for 25 years despite his injury, he had him doubt his own future. A brilliant move. Dr. Buss may not be with us anymore, but his daughter Jeanie, the first female controlling owner to win the championship, is running the franchise on the same principle.

She was the one who brought Davis in 2019. But as an owner, you do what it takes to keep your team intact. The Lakers may not have traded Davis, had it not been for his late complaints. “We’re just two different teams right now,” said Davis in November 2024. “One game, we’re this team that showcases to be one of the better teams in the league. Then the next, we’re this team who… I don’t even know who we are. So, we’ve just got to be better.” So, when Buss saw the opportunity to replace Davis with another top-tier talent, she could not afford to slip it away. The trade was made official on the night of February 1, but it was already 15 days since the discussion started between the Mavs and Lakers.

“The conversations started a couple of weeks before the trade was executed,” Buss said. “What was really important was Rob Pelinka, the general manager, and I, we did not want any part of it to leak out because it’s very disruptive to a team that’s trying to focus on getting better.”

Now, with Doncic teaming up with LeBron James, the Lakers have a fresh shot at glory. The buzz is real: this pairing pursues more than a single playoff run—it actively builds a lasting championship culture in Los Angeles.

In a candid discussion on the morning edition with NPR, Buss also revealed that Anthony Davis’ ongoing discontent with his playing role forced the Mavericks’ hand. “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.” she said. Her comments underscore that Davis’ dissatisfaction wasn’t just background noise—it was a pivotal factor that the organization could no longer ignore.

Buss then made it clear that this wasn’t an isolated incident but part of a broader, messy reality in NBA operations. She continued, seamlessly connecting the dots between internal discontent and external influences:

“You realize in our business that a lot of the rumors are planted by people in the industry who are trying to curry favor with the media. There’s kind of this ‘write good things about me as general manager and I’ll feed you my inside information. Then we both win.” she explained.

Buss’s full disclosure leaves no doubt about the dual pressures at work: the messy, rumor-fueled nature of NBA business and the tangible impact of a superstar’s unhappiness. Fans wonder if this tumultuous environment has become the new norm. But for now, Jeanie’s focus is on one thing and one thing only to continue the legacy of the Lakers.

Jeanie Buss feels she would’ve made her dad proud

Jeanie Buss has spent the last decade running the Lakers with one goal—making her father, Jerry Buss, proud. And after pulling off the shocking trade for Luka Doncic, she has no doubt he would have approved.

“He’d be very proud,” Buss said while promoting Running Point, a Netflix series inspired by her time leading the Lakers.

Bringing the 5x All-Star to L.A. wasn’t easy. Trading Davis and Max Christie wasn’t part of the plan, but Buss knew when the right opportunity comes, you have to act. “My dad was such a great poker player… he always wanted me to remember that poker was a game of patience. But once you got the cards, you had to go from zero to 100—and not be afraid to play them.”

Keeping the trade quiet was crucial. Only four people knew about it, and Buss took steps to avoid unnecessary distractions. “These things fall apart all the time,” she admitted.

Even Doncic didn’t see it coming. Facing Dallas for the first time, he admitted, “The closure is going to take a while… There was a lot of emotions.”

Now, with the Lakers surging up the standings, Buss has positioned them for a bright future.

She dismissed speculation linking the trade to Running Point’s debut and joked, “Everyone thinks, was this trade done to promote the show?”

“I don’t think so.” she said.

With the Slovenian now in purple and gold, the Lakers aren’t just thinking about this season—they’re building for the next era of championship basketball.