LOS ANGELES — After applying public pressure on the Los Angeles Lakers to upgrade the roster with their statements off the court, LeBron James and Anthony Davis backed up their demands with a statement win at a critical juncture of the season.
The Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 117-96 on Thursday for their best win of the season. Los Angeles improved to 24-18 — reaching six games above .500 for the third time this season — and remains No. 5 in the Western Conference as it prepares to head out on a six-game, 12-day Grammys-induced road trip (the final game will be in Los Angeles against the Clippers).
The timing of the win was important on multiple fronts. In the jumbled West, every game matters. Lakers-Celtics games always mean more and delivering this type of win against this specific opponent is notable. Plus, the Lakers have struggled on the road, putting a greater emphasis on stacking up as many home wins as possible.
Beyond those valid reasons, though, the primary reason the victory was crucial was the noise that preceded the game. With two weeks until the Feb. 6 trade deadline, James and Davis made it clear that they believe this roster still needs work — and they’re unafraid to push for it more directly than in years past.
The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process.
The story of the greatest plays in NBA history.
Buy
On Wednesday, ESPN reported that James and Davis “have expressed that they want the franchise to make moves to contend for a championship” and believe the Lakers are “potentially a piece or two away” from contending.
On Thursday, Davis doubled down on that sentiment in an interview with ESPN that dropped roughly an hour and a half before tipoff between the Lakers and Celtics.
“I think we need another big,” Davis told ESPN. “I feel like I’ve always been at my best when I’ve been the four and having a big out there. We know it worked when we won a championship with JaVale (McGee) and Dwight (Howard) at the five and I’m at the four. … We are (a couple of pieces away). I feel like we are.”
It’s no secret that Davis has preferred to play power forward more than center, or that James and Davis want the Lakers to take bigger swings with their assets and improve the roster significantly. The latter fact has seemingly become an annual deadline tradition.
However, the way Davis’ preferences were revealed was a bit surprising given his typically quiet maneuvering. The mild-mannered star hasn’t tried to apply this type of pressure since he played for New Orleans, where he famously made a controversial exit in 2019. Citing the team’s needs publicly in a televised interview two weeks before the trade deadline is nothing if not a bold approach.
GO DEEPER
Lakers need to pick a direction. Are they serious about another championship run or not?
Davis was asked after Thursday’s game about his comments and if he feels the urgency to pressure the front office.
“We always want to have a championship mindset,” Davis said. “We always want it to be attainable. I think our front office is, obviously, working. (Lakers general manager) Rob (Pelinka) is working on trying to better the team. But for us, it’s about going out and playing. Whether something happens or not, we have to go out and compete with whatever is in this locker room. Just like we did tonight.
“We’re gonna go on the (Grammy) trip. Not sure what’s gonna happen. I know he (Pelinka) is always working on the phones and stuff like that. But at the end of the day, we can’t try to wait on anything. We gotta go out and compete and do what we gotta do to win basketball games.”
When asked a follow-up question about what he feels his biggest advantage is playing the four versus the five, Davis explained that he’s more comfortable at the four because of his familiarity and prior success at that position.
“I only started playing the five in 2021,” Davis said. “I’d have stretches, but I was primarily a four. So my whole career I’ve been playing the four. And we’ve seen how I play. I just feel a little bit more effective (at the four). I mean, (playing the five) has its advantages and disadvantages. But the front office knows that. I’ve told them that every year I’ve been here. So it’s nothing new. But I just feel like, personally, I’m a better player at the four.”
Lakers coach JJ Redick said after the game that he and the organization have been aware of their respective perspectives for quite some time.
“No reaction,” Redick said. “I mean, the reality is that’s not a new report. I got the job six months ago. So I know that. I’ve followed this team since I retired. Just put a date next to it, that’s the report. It’s not a big deal.
“Those guys wanna win, we wanna win. And again, it’s a challenging environment to just go out and make trades. Feel very fortunate that we’re able to execute and get someone like Dorian Finney-Smith on our team. And we’ll continue to look over the next couple of weeks.”
The off-court developments overshadowed the on-court developments, which was unfortunate for the Lakers considering how well they performed.
They outplayed the defending champions, leading by as many as 28 points and withstanding multiple Boston mini-runs that would’ve rattled a less-focused group. The Lakers executed Redick’s one-through-five switching plan, cross-matched Davis on Jaylen Brown and Rui Hachimura on Kristaps Porziņģis, and even outshot the Celtics, making one more 3-pointer and shooting almost 9 percent better from beyond the 3-point arc.
They took care of the ball (six turnovers), dominated the glass (plus-11 margin), and made their free throws (18 of 20 for Lakers versus 12 of 18 for Celtics). Davis (24 points, eight rebounds and three blocks) James (20 points, 14 rebounds and six assists) and Austin Reaves (23 points and six assists) all played well. Hachimura, Max Christie, Gabe Vincent, Finney-Smith, Jaxson Hayes and Dalton Knecht made timely plays and played their roles.
HE’S DOING THAT AT 40?! pic.twitter.com/qCYsBuaRGh
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 24, 2025
At the same time, the consequences of Davis publicly calling for another center and saying the group is another piece or two away is fascinating. It’s setting up, potentially, for something of a standoff between the front office/organization and its two superstars.
The Lakers stars prefer the all-in path of trading picks and young players to create the best roster possible. Meanwhile, the organization is trying to balance the present and the future and has a higher bar for trading its first-round picks and younger foundational players. And that tension sets up a riveting two-week lead-up to the deadline.
While the Lakers have certainly done a laundry list of notable favors for James and Davis recently — drafting and signing Bronny James, signing other Klutch Sports clients to the back end of the roster and largely allowing both to structure contracts however they’d like — they haven’t been as favorable when it’s come to bigger roster decisions since the Russell Westbrook debacle (a disaster so colossal it continues to have ripple effects throughout the organization).
James has wanted a third All-Star-caliber player for years, be it Kyrie Irving, Dejounte Murray or Zach LaVine. If the Lakers gave him the type of roster he covets, it would look fairly different than the current one.
The same can be said for Davis, who said he’s tried to get the franchise to invest more heavily in the center position. Instead, it’s been more of an afterthought from a roster construction perspective with the Lakers revolving through DeAndre Jordan, Howard, Wenyen Gabriel, Thomas Bryant, Mo Bamba, Damian Jones, Tristan Thompson, Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood and Harry Giles over the past four seasons.
That’s an uninspiring list; none of those players are legitimate options in a championship-level rotation. And the problem has persisted into this season with a two-way center, Christian Koloko, being arguably the Lakers’ best backup big up so far (and him coming up against the 50-game limit for two-way players sooner than expected).
To Redick’s point, the Lakers took a shrewd midsized swing on Finney-Smith, and he’s looked the part of a playoff-caliber 3-and-D wing. At the same time, there are obvious holes on the roster, like a better backup center, a better backup ballhandler/shot creator and another two-way wing. And if the group is serious about competing, it needs to address at least one, if not two of those deficiencies.
The pressure is now on the front office and ownership to respond — or not respond — to James and Davis. There’s no going back. It was one thing in the past when there were rumors or anonymous reports about how James and Davis felt. But Davis put his name to his feelings, implying he’ll be disappointed if changes aren’t made.
Perhaps this push was too late. Maybe it’ll make a difference. The answer won’t be known, likely, for close to two weeks.
The stakes of this trade deadline were already clear, but now they’ve been raised to an even higher level. There will be a lasting fallout from this situation that will likely impact the franchise’s direction this summer and beyond.
Sign up to get The Bounce, the essential NBA newsletter from Zach Harper and The Athletic staff, delivered free to your inbox.
(Photo: Harry How / Getty Images)
