Anthony Davis Details Motive Behind Selfless Decision With Major Trade Bonus

Davis left millions on the table when the Lakers traded him to the Mavs.

Davis had a $6 million trade kicker / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Anthony Davis was one of many unknowing participants in a trade that Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelink described as "seismic." Davis was the big return, along with a first-round pick, to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic.

Davis had a $6 million trade kicker written into his contract with the Lakers, which essentially entitles the player to that amount of money if they are traded. It's a cousin to a no-trade clause (full no-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, only two active players have one), giving the player some level of compensation if their team opts to trade them.

Davis, speaking to the media for the first time on Tuesday since the deal went down, talked about his decision to waive the trade kicker. He told Tim Bontemps that he was trying to help the team by saving some money so they could continue to put forth a competitive team after losing a player as special as Doncic.

AD on why he gave up his $6 mil trade bonus: “Trying to help the team. Obviously you always want to get better & losing a monumental piece like Luka ... it's a lot, right? So I'm just trying to do my part and help Nico and the organization on how we can continuously get better."

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 4, 2025

Davis was an unwilling participant in the trade, so he could have easily held out stubbornly with his trade kicker. Instead, he opted to let it be and get his future with a new organization off on the right foot.

One financial benefit is Davis goes from a high state income tax in California to a state with no income tax in Texas.

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