Anthony Davis: From Lakers' Future to Celtics' Gamble
Seven years ago, Anthony Davis was supposed to be the heir.
The next great Laker. The man to ease LeBron James into the twilight, then carry the purple and gold on his own for a decade. A 26-year-old on the verge of his prime, projected into a future where he’d sit comfortably in the franchise’s top 10 in both points and rebounds, brushing shoulders with the giants of Los Angeles lore.
Roughly 2,600 days later, that script is shredded.
Davis has been out of mind in Laker land for nearly 19 months now, his legacy in Los Angeles frozen in a strange in-between. Too good to be dismissed, too fragile to be fully trusted. The belief that the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft might one day be mentioned among the five greatest Lakers ever has long since evaporated.
He’s a Washington Wizard now, his NBA life rerouted by that stunning February 2025 deal that sent him to the Dallas Mavericks and delivered Luka Doncic to Los Angeles. A trade that shook the league, rearranged power structures and quietly pushed Davis into a new phase of his career: still a star, but no longer the future.
And he might not be done packing his bags.
A Blockbuster in Green?
Washington is rebuilding, and everyone around the league can see it. What the franchise almost certainly does not see in its future is a multi-year commitment worth close to $300 million for a 33-year-old big man with a long injury file, no matter how decorated he is.
That’s where Boston enters the frame.
The Celtics, fresh off moving Jaylen Brown in a baffling deal to the rival Philadelphia 76ers, are suddenly light in the frontcourt and short on star power beside Jayson Tatum. The wing depth that once defined them has thinned. The interior presence that could tilt a playoff series isn’t quite there.
So the idea surfaces: what if Anthony Davis in green becomes the answer?
The proposed framework is simple enough:
- Wizards receive: Paul George, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman and a 2030 second-round pick (via CHA)
- Celtics receive: Anthony Davis
For Washington, this is about risk management and runway. The Wizards move off the pressure of deciding whether to hand Davis a massive, long-term deal and instead bring in a pair of emerging pieces in Walsh and Scheierman, plus the short-term star power of George.
George’s contract is the key. In two years, when his deal expires, the Wizards could see more than $100 million vanish from their books. Cap space, youth, and time — all essential ingredients for a franchise trying to claw its way back to relevance.
Boston’s calculus is different. The Celtics know exactly what Davis is: a superstar talent and a franchise-changer when his body holds up. They also know the risk. They’ve lived through their own injury sagas over the years.
But the upside? That’s what tempts contenders.
Tatum has never had a frontcourt partner of this magnitude. Davis is a five-time All-NBA selection, a three-time single-season blocks leader, and a defensive terror when locked in and healthy. If he stays on the floor in Boston, the Celtics would be landing one of the league’s top players at what could be considered a relative bargain, given the circumstances.
The gamble is obvious. The reward, if it hits, is even clearer.
The Laker Years: Apex and Aftermath
Any conversation about Davis’ present and future still bends back to his time in Los Angeles.
When the Lakers finally moved him, plenty of fans bristled at the idea of giving up a player of his caliber. That angst didn’t last long once the return package came into focus and the reality of Luka Doncic in a Lakers jersey set in. Sentiment gave way to excitement.
That doesn’t erase what Davis did there.
Across 5½ seasons in Los Angeles, Davis averaged 24.8 points, 11 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.2 blocks per game. He stacked four All-Star appearances, two All-NBA selections, and two All-Defensive First Team honors in that span. On both ends of the floor, at his peak, he was a nightmare.
And then there’s 2020.
In the bubble, Davis was a driving force behind the Lakers’ run to the NBA championship. His shot-making, his rim protection, his presence alongside LeBron — that title doesn’t happen without him. For all the frustration about missed games and what-ifs, Los Angeles squeezed the very best out of Anthony Davis when it mattered most.
They got his apex. The version that was supposed to own the next decade.
Now the question shifts to everyone else.
Washington must decide whether to treat him as a bridge or a cornerstone. Boston must decide whether to stake a championship window on a player who can still dominate a series but has rarely made it through a season unscathed.
If this hypothetical deal ever leaves the realm of imagination and hits the transaction wire, one thing will be certain: Anthony Davis, once anointed as the Lakers’ future, would be stepping into yet another reinvention — this time in Celtic green, with a different city, a different co-star, and one last chance to prove he can still bend a franchise’s fate.
