Can Anthony Davis Find Success in Boston?
Seven years ago, Anthony Davis was supposed to be the bridge. LeBron James would age, the torch would be passed, and the Los Angeles Lakers would glide from one generational superstar to the next without missing a step.
He was 26 then, still shy of his prime, projected to stack a decade of dominance in purple and gold. Top 10 all time in points and rebounds? That didn’t sound crazy. It sounded inevitable.
It hasn’t worked out that way.
Today, roughly 2,600 days on, Davis is a Washington Wizard, a long way from the version of himself that once carried championship expectations in Los Angeles. It has been nearly 19 months since he truly occupied the center of the conversation in Laker land, and even longer since anyone seriously believed he might finish as one of the five greatest players in franchise history.
The league, as always, moved on. And Davis moved with it.
From Lakers Cornerstone to Trade Chip
The first seismic jolt came in February 2025, when the Lakers stunned the NBA by shipping Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in a blockbuster that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles. A move that would have been unthinkable back when Davis arrived as James’ co-star became a symbol of where his standing had slipped.
Now with Washington, his NBA life has been reshaped again. The Wizards are rebuilding, staring down a future that doesn’t include a massive, long-term commitment to a 33-year-old big man with a long injury history and a price tag that could approach $300 million.
So the question hangs over the league: is Davis on the move again?
A Celtic Twist: Davis in Green?
One scenario would send him to the last place Laker fans want to see him — Boston.
The Celtics, thin in the frontcourt and still recalibrating after the surprise decision to trade Jaylen Brown to the rival Philadelphia 76ers, are looking for a new way to support Jayson Tatum. They need size, star power, and someone who can tilt a playoff series from the paint.
Enter a hypothetical deal:
- Wizards receive: Paul George, Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman and a 2030 second-round pick (via CHA)
- Celtics receive: Anthony Davis
For Washington, the logic is cold but clear. They avoid tying themselves to Davis deep into his 30s on a mega-deal, and they reset the clock. George’s contract comes off the books in two years, potentially clearing more than $100 million in salary. In the meantime, they bring in two emerging pieces in Walsh and Scheierman who can grow with a young core and help drag the franchise back toward respectability.
The pressure on Boston would be different. Davis is still a superstar talent, still a franchise-changer when his body holds up. The Celtics would be betting that he can string together a couple of relatively healthy seasons and finally give Tatum the elite frontcourt partner he has never had.
This is the gamble: a five-time All-NBA selection, three-time single-season blocks leader, and one of the most devastating two-way bigs of his generation, acquired at a relative bargain because of the risk attached to his medical file. If he stays on the floor, Boston doesn’t just get bigger. It gets scarier.
The Laker Years: Peak Davis
To understand why a team like Boston would even consider rolling those dice, you only need to rewind to Davis’ peak in Los Angeles.
Across 5½ seasons as James’ running mate, he averaged 24.8 points, 11 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.2 blocks per game. Those aren’t empty numbers. They came with impact, with hardware, with moments that still sting for opponents.
He made four All-Star Games as a Laker, earned two All-NBA nods, and twice landed on the All-Defensive First Team. On both ends of the floor, when he was right, he warped game plans. Coaches had to build entire schemes around him.
And then there’s 2020.
In the bubble, Davis was a driving force behind the Lakers’ run to the NBA championship. His shot-making, rim protection, and versatility turned that team from dangerous into untouchable. For a stretch, he looked every bit like the player who would carry the franchise into the post-LeBron era.
You could argue the Lakers squeezed the very best version of Anthony Davis out of those years. They got him at his apex, when he could still dominate the paint defensively and punish mismatches offensively, night after night.
What Comes Next?
Now the conversation around Davis is different. It’s not about whether he’ll finish as an all-time Laker, but where he fits in the league’s next phase. Washington represents a crossroads, not a destination.
A move to Boston — if a deal like this ever materializes — would drop him into the center of another title chase, this time in the jersey that has haunted Los Angeles for generations. It would give Tatum the kind of interior partner he’s never enjoyed and hand the Celtics a towering, if fragile, answer to the league’s growing army of elite bigs.
The talent is still there. The résumé is already loaded. The question, as it has been for years now, is simple and brutal.
Can Anthony Davis stay healthy long enough for one more run at greatness?
