Anthony Davis spent years asking the Lakers for a true center. He didn’t get one until after he was gone.

On Wednesday, less than two years after Los Angeles traded him away in the blockbuster Luka Doncic deal, the Lakers suddenly rebuilt their frontcourt by acquiring Walker Kessler and adding another big man during a rapid-fire free agency spree. One viral post summed up the irony, and Davis himself couldn’t resist joining the conversation.

Popular NBA account Cuffs The Legend posted on X: “Anthony Davis practically begged Rob Pelinka to get him a CENTER alongside him for YEARS… Rob didn’t budge. AD got back doored.. Bron lowkey got back doored.. and NOW he wanna be a competent GM now that the duo that won you a championship is gone.. you can’t make this shit up LOL,” accompanied by a snake emoji.

Less than an hour later, Davis responded with four laughing emojis, offering his only public reaction to a post arguing the Lakers had finally addressed the very roster issue he spent years raising in Los Angeles.

Davis’ frustration with the Lakers’ frontcourt wasn’t new. During his introductory press conference in 2019, he made his preference clear, saying, “I like playing the four… I don’t really like playing the five.” The Lakers honored that during their 2020 championship run alongside Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee, but over the following seasons Davis increasingly became the team’s full-time center as Los Angeles failed to land another long-term starting big.

That need became even more obvious before Davis was traded. The Lakers agreed to acquire Mark Williams before the 2025 trade deadline, only for the deal to collapse after Williams failed his physical. Within days, Davis himself was sent to Dallas in exchange for Doncic.

Just over a year later, Pelinka aggressively addressed the same position Davis had spent years talking about. The Lakers acquired Walker Kessler from Utah in a sign-and-trade, signing the 24-year-old rim protector to a four-year, $130 million contract while sending the Jazz unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033 along with pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.

Kessler wasn’t the Lakers’ only option. Detroit’s Jalen Duren also emerged as one of the franchise’s top targets during free agency, with Los Angeles reportedly holding multiple meetings before ultimately committing to Kessler.

Pelinka wasn’t finished. Within roughly 35 minutes of landing Kessler, the Lakers also agreed to deals with Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes and Collin Sexton, completely reshaping the roster around Doncic in one of the busiest stretches of free agency.

The Price of Finally Solving the Center Problem

Solving that long-standing need came at a significant price. According to NBA insider Brett Siegel, the Kessler trade leaves the Lakers without a tradable first-round pick for the next seven years after surrendering two unprotected first-round selections and two pick swaps.

The aggressive approach reflects how differently the Lakers now have to build around Doncic. Unlike Davis, who was already one of the NBA’s premier interior defenders, Doncic thrives with a vertical rim-running center who can protect the basket, finish lobs and clean the glass. Kessler checks all three boxes, averaging 12.2 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and shooting over 70 percent from the field during his most recent healthy season.

Trade expert Keith Smith also suggested the Lakers’ offseason was effectively complete after the flurry of moves. Whether that’s the case remains to be seen, but Los Angeles has unquestionably built a deeper roster than last season one designed far more around Doncic’s strengths than the one Davis spent years asking the franchise to construct.