Deandre Ayton has had multiple moments this season with the Los Angeles Lakers. His dominant third-quarter run against the Golden State Warriors was just one of them, helping the Lakers snap a three-game losing streak. But with Luka Doncic sidelined for some time, questions about the center are back. Amidst all these questions, Anthony Davis’ name reappears.
Why Jovan Buha Shuts Down Talk of an Anthony Davis Reunion
Discussing all of this is Jovan Buha, who had heard enough of it!
“I don’t see it,” Buha said flatly on his podcast. “I think time needs to pass for some of the wounds to heal with the situation. I think it’s still relatively fresh, at least from the AD side.”
Buha isn’t wrong on that part. Just some time back, Anthony Davis made an appearance on “The Draymond Green Show,” saying, “I was there six years, we won a championship and I can’t even get a phone call or a text to tell me this is what you’re thinking?” That’s not a guy rushing back.
Buha’s arguments did not stop at emotions alone. He continued, “That’s a massive risk with just his injury history. I mean, he has not been healthy since the trade, so looking at the contract plus the injury history, I would be pretty skeptical of that.”
Davis played 20 games for the Dallas Mavericks this season before being traded. In that time, he averaged 20.4 points.
The Mavericks then traded him to the Washington Wizards mid-season. Prior to that, he injured his hand against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 8 and has not played on the hardwood since then. Davis has topped 56 games in one season just twice in the last eight years.
And then comes the contract talk. Davis only has two years left on his deal, which includes a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.
He will be 35 by the time that expires. The Mavericks traded him partly because they didn’t want to extend Davis, given his injuries and the whopping price he commanded.
The Lakers might as well be walking into the same conversation if a “reunion” is on the cards.
Why the Deandre Ayton Experiment Has Been a Mixed Bag for the Lakers
Deandre Ayton isn’t a strong enough reason for the Lakers to rope in Davis again. But he’s not the reason to stay home either.
Ayton has been pretty inconsistent all year long. He started with complaints about his role, suggesting the Lakers were trying to turn him into Clint Capela (massively trolled for that later).
JJ Redick benched him in the fourth quarter of a loss against Dallas. He could only rake in three points against the Oklahoma City Thunder, shooting 1-of-4.
But something has shifted in him recently. Ayton started buying in more. He told The Athletic that he is fully committed.
He said, “I scratched that, I took that out. I said … when it comes to scoring, we don’t need that. We need you to put that energy what you have for offense into defense.”
He has played 71 games this season, which is his most since his final year with the Phoenix Suns.
The Lakers recently won six straight games with Ayton contributing. Head coach Redick even called him “dominant” after his massive 21-point performance against the Warriors.
Twelve of those points came in the third quarter alone.
That’s the kind of performance the Lakers will need in the playoffs. Whether he is consistent or not, that’s the question.
And if the Lakers do bring in Davis, that’s the same question they will be asking themselves, but with twice the risk and at twice the price.
