Anthony Davis wasn’t the only star player in Los Angeles to get blindsided by his team this week.
Two days after the Los Angeles Lakers traded 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp announced on X that the Los Angeles Rams were “seeking a trade immediately” for the Super Bowl LVI MVP.
Kupp wrote, “I don’t agree with the decision,” which was presumably made for the Rams to save $20M on next year’s salary if his trade is designated post-June 1. He had spent his entire career with the Rams after being selected in the third round in 2017 out of Eastern Washington. Kupp won the receiving Triple Crown in 2021, leading the NFL in yards, receptions and receiving touchdowns, before setting a playoff record with 33 receptions in four playoff games as the Rams won it all three years ago.
Davis helped the Lakers to a title in his first season, 2019-20. The Lakers made the conference finals in 2023, and Davis made one All-NBA first team and two All-Defensive first teams in his five-plus seasons.
The common thread is that both players didn’t request or even expect a trade. Davis signed an extension to stay with the Lakers through 2028 in the summer of 2023. Kupp signed an extension to stay with the Rams through 2026 back in 2022. Now he’ll be playing out that contract elsewhere.
The situations show that there’s a double standard about team loyalty in professional sports. Davis was demonized for requesting a trade to the Lakers from the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019, but the Lakers won’t face the same criticism for trading him away. Kupp has played through multiple injuries and committed to his team long-term, only to learn he was expendable.
Both the Lakers and Rams may have strong reasons for their trade. For the Lakers, it was the chance to acquire Luka Doncic. For the Rams, it was the emergence of young receivers Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell. But for two stars who gave a lot to Los Angeles, it’s a rough way to leave.
