Austin Reaves Reveals What Anthony Davis Texted Lakers Group Chat After Dallas Trade

Reaves had a similar reaction to many others.

Then-Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis and current guard Austin Reaves on Jan 27, 2024. / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

We are now two months out from the bombshell February trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, but, in a telling sign of the deal's magnitude, we are still talking about it.

Indeed, it feels as though new information and new perspectives are shared weekly, especially as the Lakers continue their march toward the playoffs and disaster continues to befall the Mavs.

To that end, a new piece from ESPN's Dave McMenamin sheds some light on what burgeoning Lakers standout Austin Reaves thought in the immediate aftermath of the agreement—and what trade piece Anthony Davis texted him at that point.

For starters, Reaves told McMenamin that he first saw the news in an Instagram post citing the report from NBA insider Shams Charania.

"First thing, I was like, 'Oh this is [false]," Reaves said. "'[Charania] got hacked,'" he continued, echoing a sentiment many others shared.

But the guard's phone soon began blowing up. "The group message started going crazy," he went on. "AD, texting the [team] group message, was like, 'They traded me.' And I was like, 'OK, AD is bulls----ing with us.' He's a kid at heart, had his fun. He literally has a prank TV show. I thought it was one of those."

But not long after, he learned it was no prank at all.

Even with the inimitable Doncic and superstar LeBron James leading the offense, the 26-year-old Reaves has proven a standout for the Lakers all season, averaging 20.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. He has taken up the torch as the team's third option, and, as McMenamin posits in his piece, could prove to be the lynchpin L.A. needs in the playoffs.

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