Though Davis was clumsy in executing his exit strategy, especially at first, he got his wish: a high-wattage partnership with LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers. Together, James and Davis delivered the 2020 title thanks to a mutually beneficial relationship. James carried the heaviest load on offense, Davis organized the defense and their combined talent and athleticism overwhelmed the bubble competition.
For Durant, Davis’s life after controversy and extended bare-knuckle negotiations is a reminder that the hard feelings over his failed power play with the Brooklyn Nets should dissipate somewhat over time. Durant’s turn in the spotlight, meanwhile, underscores how Davis has become the NBA’s most forgotten superstar since departing Disney World with the Larry O’Brien trophy two years ago.
Davis has every credential needed to be one of the faces of basketball. He’s a former No. 1 pick who enjoyed a standout freshman campaign at Kentucky and won an Olympic gold medal as a teenager. He’s an eight-time all-star on the NBA’s highest-profile franchise, a silky scorer and versatile defender rolled into one. And he’s still just 29 years old, younger than Shaquille O’Neal was when he split with Kobe Bryant and younger than Kevin Garnett was when he joined the Boston Celtics.
The plan, it seemed, was for Davis to take the baton from James as the Lakers’ leading option and to battle peers such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid for control of the league. Instead, Davis has played just 76 games combined over the past two seasons, succumbing to injuries that derailed the Lakers.
After peaking in the bubble playoffs by averaging 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game and providing dependable All-World defense, Davis limped through a first-round exit against the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 postseason and appeared in only three games after the all-star break last season. There were consequences: Davis wasn’t selected as an all-star for the first time since his rookie year, and the Lakers tumbled from preseason conference favorites to an embarrassing 11th-place finish.
Persistent health concerns haven’t been the only issue dimming Davis’s shine. Los Angeles’s disastrous 2021 offseason robbed him of like-minded defensive contributors such as Alex Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope while stranding him with Russell Westbrook, a ball-dominant guard who lacked Rajon Rondo’s setup skills.
As a result, a bulkier Davis found himself trying to cover up for too many weak links on defense and struggling to find a groove on offense, as his shooting percentages on three-point attempts and midrange jumpers fell off a cliff. Remarkably, the Lakers went just 17-23 with Davis on the court — a stunning reversal from their 2020 title campaign when they were 62-21 during the regular season and postseason when he played. Meanwhile, James, who recently signed a two-year max extension, has continued to dominate headlines and produce at an elite level, postponing Davis’s franchise takeover.
The Lakers’ 2022 offseason, to date, hasn’t done Davis many favors. A Westbrook trade has yet to develop and a deal for Patrick Beverley along with the incoming free agent class — highlighted by Lonnie Walker IV, Thomas Bryant and Juan Toscano-Anderson — hasn’t brought in proven difference-makers. Los Angeles did hire Darvin Ham to replace Frank Vogel as coach, and the former Milwaukee…
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