Lakers won a title, but Lonzo Ball thinks they made a MISTAKE trading him for Anthony Davis

Now that the Los Angeles Lakers have moved on to a new chapter with Luka Doncic on board and Anthony Davis out of the door, Lonzo Ball has had a change of opinion regarding the trade that involved him back in 2019. According to Ball — who was part of the package that was sent to the New Orleans Pelicans alongside Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round picks — the trade shouldn't have happened because it could've led to possibly something special for the Lakers.

"It might be an unpopular opinion but I feel like I could have played with D'Angelo Russell honestly," Ball said. "I think they should have kept all those picks and seen how it would have turned out but hey, they still got the ring, so it worked out for them."

A change of tune 

This was a surprising statement from Lonzo, as just a year ago, he had spoken about how he would've traded himself for AD as well if he were managing the Lakers. After all, the decision to trade for the Brow led to a championship, and it was also a huge way to maximize LeBron James' time in L.A., as he couldn't afford to be on a rebuilding team.

Ball understands all that but still wonders what would've happened if the Lakers stayed the course. Before the Doncic trade, the team was already trending downwards because both James and Davis were aging, which is why Ball considered what would've happened had the Lakers rebuilt and stayed young instead.

"I mean we know what happened when we was walking through the hallways. We were told one thing but that's the first time I realized that this is definitely a business, you know? But at the same time, it was like, it's Anthony Davis so a part of me was like, I mean to be fair, I would've traded myself for Anthony Davis," Ball said in 2024.

The Lakers would've not have wanted that

As interesting as it is to think about Ball's theoretical idea, it's safe to assume that the Lakers wouldn't have taken that path based on how they've operated in the past. There's a reason why they chose to prioritize James over the young and unproven players, and they wouldn't trade the 2020 championship if it meant taking the risk of seeing how Ball and the rest of the players and picks turn out.

That's what happens when the organization is always focused on winning championships — there's no time to rebuild. As for Lonzo, he's been on the third team since being traded by the Lakers and is doing his best to revive his career after experiencing one injury after another. It's also challenging to determine whether he would've stayed healthy had he been with the Lakers all these years. If Lonzo wasn't, there's a high chance that he would've been on the trade block.

Nevertheless, this will always be a significant what-if in Ball's career, as he entered the league with immense hype and was once touted as the next Lakers superstar. Unfortunately for him, that never panned out and now, he's just speaking theoretical ideas that the Lakers management and even fans probably don't think about either.

Related: Lonzo Ball thinks his Chino Hills High School team "could've played in today's NBA"

This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Nov 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.