Unveiling the Surprising Misunderstanding: How Jeanie Buss Lacked Knowledge on Draft Pick Trade Rights During the Davis Deal

Former New Orleans Pelicans vice president David Griffin revealed that during negotiations for Anthony Davis’s trade to the Lakers, club owner Jeanie Buss was not fully aware of what a draft pick trade right entails.

«Rob Pelinka told me that Jeanie Buss didn’t understand what a trade right for draft picks was. At first, I thought he was joking or trying to use it as a negotiation tactic. General managers often say, ‘That’s a decision for the owner’ when they want to buy some time. But then he asked me, ‘If you were in my position, how would you explain this point to your boss?’ In that moment, I realized he was serious. I relayed this to my team, and everyone in the room just burst out laughing—it seemed so unbelievable to them,» Griffin stated, as reported by The Athletic.