Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura revealed Monday night that he was surprised to see former teammate Anthony Davis when the Lakers hosted and defeated the Washington Wizards.
When asked by reporters about reconnecting with AD, Hachimura said he was “shocked” to see Davis on the Wizards’ bench because he “totally forgot about” his trade to Washington:
The Lakers dealt Davis to the Dallas Mavericks last season as part of the blockbuster trade that brought Luka Doncic to Los Angeles. Then, the Mavs traded Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to the Wizards for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round draft picks and three second-rounders last month.
Davis’ trade to Washington may have slipped Hachimura’s mind due to the fact that AD hasn’t actually appeared in a game for the Wizards.
AD was on the shelf with a hand injury when the Wizards acquired him, and he still hasn’t returned to action, which suggests he may not be back on the court until next season.
The trade always felt like a move for next season rather than this season for the Wizards, as they are tied with the Indiana Pacers for the worst record in the NBA at 17-58.
Washington opted to buy low in trades for Davis and Trae Young, giving them an intriguing core to go along with a potential high pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
As for Hachimura and the Lakers, they continued to roll along Monday, winning for the 12th time in the past 13 games and improving to 49-26 on the year.
L.A. is 1.5 games ahead of the Denver Nuggets for third place in the Western Conference, and with one more victory, the Lakers will reach the 50-win mark for the second straight year under head coach JJ Redick.