Anthony Davis Wanted Lakers to Bring in Help at Center

The Lakers recently signed big man Christian Wood, and that’s likely especially pleasing to Anthony Davis.

Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Davis was hoping the Lakers would bring in someone to help him handle the center position. Or perhaps move Davis back to his more natural power forward spot on a more regular basis.

“Sources told ESPN that Davis made it clear to the organization he wanted to have more support at center so he wouldn’t have to play so much 5 during the regular season,” McMenamin wrote. “Davis was slotted at center in 99% of his minutes last season, according to Cleaning the Glass data.”

Davis and the Lakers agreed to a three-year, $186 million contract extension this summer. Not everyone who roots for the Lakers is in favor of that deal — given Davis’ extensive injury history and how he lost the battle vs. Nuggets star Nikola Jokic in the playoffs.

At any rate, along with the Wood signing, the Lakers also added Jaxson Hayes. So they should have more than enough up front to keep Davis happy, and if he so desires, logging more minutes at power forward.

It doesn’t seem like a big deal, as the NBA has become such a position-less league. But Davis is in charge of battling down low, and he needed some help. Now, he has plenty, perhaps starting with Wood.

New story: The Lakers summertime moves, culminating with the Christian Wood signing, present a cohesive vision. Just how far it can take them remains to be seen, but there’s reason for optimism https://t.co/S87yQL3ga3

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) September 7, 2023