The Pelicans are approaching the Anthony Davis trade request “methodically,” listening to trade inquiries and offers but remaining focused on “the long play,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Wednesday during an appearance on NBA Countdown (video link). According to Wojnarowski, it’s “very unlikely” that the Pelicans will get serious enough in any trade talks by next Thursday’s deadline to actually finalize a Davis deal by February 7.
[RELATED: Examining Every Team’s Chances Of Trading For Anthony Davis]
As Wojnarowski observes, the Pelicans could gain leverage during the offseason by getting more teams involved in the Davis sweepstakes. Besides all the teams that will open up cap room and gain flexibility in the summer, the Celtics will also enter the mix, no longer held back by the Rose Rule restrictions that prevent them from trading for Davis. According to Wojnarowski, it sounds like the Celtics have conveyed to the Pelicans that they should be patient and that Boston would be willing to discuss virtually anyone on its roster except for Kyrie Irving.
If the Pelicans don’t make a deal at the deadline, that could be bad news for the Lakers, who would like to trade for Davis as soon as possible, before the Celtics can get involved. However, Wojnarowski suggests that New Orleans’ front office has “no interest in acquiescing Anthony Davis to the Lakers right now.”
Here’s more on the NBA’s top trade candidate:
- There has been speculation that Davis may have played his last game for the Pelicans, who could hold their star big man out of action for the rest of the season even if he’s not moved at the deadline. However, while that’s an option under consideration, nothing has been definitively decided on that front, a source tells Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter links). Asked this week whether Davis would play again for the Pelicans, head coach Alvin Gentry was noncommittal, as Peter Thompson of Sporting News relays. “I don’t really know how to answer that. I assume that he will,” Gentry said. “That’s something that will obviously have to be discussed about what’s best for him and what’s best for our team.”
- Mirjam Swanson of The Los Angeles Times explores whether the Clippers could be a player in the Davis sweepstakes, while Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic digs into the Warriors‘ long-shot odds and Erik Horne of The Oklahoman does the same for the Thunder.
- While much of the coverage this week has focused on Davis and his potential suitors, Royce Young of ESPN.com looks at the other side of the saga, examining how the Pelicans are dealing with the trade rumors swirling around the franchise.
- Cap expert Albert Nahmad takes a deep dive into Davis’ future contract options, along with a potential timeline for a trade (and new contract) in an interesting piece for HeatHoops.com.
He sits out, the team gets fined correct? Unless they give him an injury designation?
No rockets didn’t get fined when Carmelo decided to step away from the team and not play.
If he were healthy and sitting out against the Pelicans’ wishes, they’d have that option, but it sounds like this would be a decision the team is on board with (if it happens).
I thought the league was cracking down on players not playing unless injured? The “no resting rule”.
As noted in another reply, Davis is dealing with a hand injury. If they wanted to shut him down, they could probably address that injury via surgery, which would give them cover to hold him out the rest of the season and make sure he’s 100% healthy for the summer.
Technically he is injured with his “sprained hand”. I think you could milk that like lebron is milking his groin strain. The obvious difference is Davis needs to be held out to avoid damaging his immense value.
You’ve obviously never experienced a groin injury before….
boohoo lbj’s not going to get his way – certainly he’ll be able to use his star talent to attract other star players to the lakers.. bwhahaha!!
hell get his way, just not yet. this is why I don’t watch anymore. the league is s*** now. and when will people realize playing with lbj always ends poorly
Careful now, Kawhi’s but a phone call away
Not to mention, has won a ring from playing with LBJ…. #SoundsPoorly
All Star caliber PG. Stretch-4. 6th Man that avg almost 20 and 10. Serviceable backup 5. Okay 2 guard. And an MVP candidate.
All that equals Lottery bound team.
You say Demps hasnt put anyone around him? Boogie didnt play the last part of the year and they made the 2nd round of the playoffs, sans Randle.
The most obvious need is a 3&D wing.
IF they trade AD, the buying team should be on the hook to find a home for Solomon Hill.
If the trade with LA takes place and they move Hill and ET Moore they’d end up with around 50M in cap space once Randle opts out and they waive Williams.
They would have PG, SF, PF with Jrue, Ingram, Kuzma. Need a SG and C. They could keep ET 1 more year and still have enough cap space to max out 1 player.
They should at that point be offering KAT or KP a max contract on the 1st day of FA. With Boogie (if relationship not destroyed) or Vucevic as a backup option. DJ is too limited, Gasol is too old, WCS is too limited, Dwight is cooked, Valanciuas is limited, Kanter is limited.
Jrue is a shooting guard more than a point guard, if lonzo is in the trade C would be their major need besides the bench of course
Jrue handles a lot of the point duties, and has never averaged less than 6 Assists since his rookie season. They have tried to bring in some PGs – Frazier, Payton, Mason, and have ET handle. But all those options have been hot garbage. I mean did you watch the Rockets game? Frazier looked like the worst person to have the ball in his hands.
If Lonzo were in the trade yes that would push ET to the bench or trade block and make C their primary concern.
This has gotten ridiculous. Every player just demands to be on a winning team now. What makes winning special? You just demand to get added to a stacked team so you can beat up on smaller market teams. You are an employee. I don’t walk into my boss’ office making demands and refuse to work until they are met. Normal people get fired for that.
The issue is these days you are judged by Championships. You dont get at least 1 you pretty much get skipped over when it comes to talking about legacy and all time greats. So these players are joining up to make sure they arent the next Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson.
I get that. It just seems like we have reached a point of manufacturing greatness instead of achieving it. And the fault goes both ways—players and owners. Loyalty is dead and has taken integrity down with it.
Don’t want to be the next AI? In 30 years he’ll be held in higher regard than your KDs or Jimmy Butlers, no matter how many rings they get.
Back that up with anything please
Charles Barkley forced his way out and didn’t win because of it. Same with AI. And that’s what is brought up about those players. As great as they were, they were headcases during their careers because they didn’t stick with a team and repeatedly attempted to force things to work how they wanted.
Forcing your way out only guarantees one thing and that’s a stigma that you’re difficult to work with.
Those players had that stigma before the forced their way out. There are other players and in other sports that forced their way out and they’re not perceived that way. Garnett asked to be traded and he’s not criticized for it. Eli Manning refused to play in San Diego and no one talks about that either. Ultimately, if you win it’s no big deal. If you leave and don’t win, then people hold it against you.
The key word is “normal.”
The pelicans are well within their rights to release Davis, they just won’t because he has a bit more value to his employer than you do
A bit more insulation between the brow as well.
He needs to go to the Rockets
I mean any good team should be pushing for him. Heck if I thought Sacramento could get him without wrecking the team I’d be happy with them renting him.
Houston, GS, Denver, Philly, Toronto should all try to get him in varying degrees. Philly would have to give up Simmons which I’d do if I were them. GS would have to five up Klay and Draymond and I don’t know that it’s worth the risk being that barring injury they are pretty much guaranteed to win it this year. Houston is less clear on what they’d give up as the big piece. I mean Capela and a few others might be worth it but that’s no guarantee.
No way I’d trade Simmons for AD even straight up. Not because Simmons is better cause he isn’t, not even close. But when AD walks in a year and a half anyway then you’re screwed.
Simmons is still on his rookie scale deal through 19/20 season, at which point he’s a RFA and will sign a 5 year max deal through the 24/25 season. That’s a lot of control to give up for a year and a half of AD.
Exactly. Tried to pound that into the thick skulls in other posts. 7 years of triple doubles & Top-15-20 player vs 1.5 years of Top-5 player.
Kawhi for DeRozan was 1 year Top-5 player for 2 years (maybe 3) of Top-25 player. Not the same.
Trade him to the ABL…. (Anywhere But the Lakers)
I was speaking with a friend last night about the AD situation and what our team (Knicks) and others should do in light of it. He pointed out that, in the salary cap era (30 years), no team has ever traded for an established superstar like AD and then tried to build a championship team around him has ever succeeded. In discussing it, he could have gone further and still have been right. Few teams have acquired any star (max level player) by trade and then built much of anything around them. Teams that won championships or contended after trading for a star, do so almost immediately (within a year or so) or not at all, and, when they do, its with a core that’s already in place at the time of the trade (or acquired shortly thereafter). In short, if a team (like the Knicks and others) has the idea that they would acquire AD, and then commence to build a true contender around him, they should lose it. But it’s not just the Knicks. Any team bidding should look at the team they will have with AD when the trade is completed, and factor in only other existing assets that can employed in the next year, and really like that team. Because it’s very likely the best team you’ll have with him.
Stars that sign as FAs are a smaller sample size. Still, the instances of established stars signing as FAs and going on to win a championship with their new team are few and those never involve multi-year building processes. The end product or the assets to create it were largely in place.
This theory sounds plausible though if some journalist has not already done the research… it is a lot of research and remembering.
Anyway, within the next 5 months, circumstances will provide new examples for its testing!
But if you’re in a big market that’s attractive to free agents, you make the trade for top 10 talent every time because you always have better odds at signing good free agents.
And in today’s game, few teams will ever be able to sign a stud free agent if they don’t have one already.
The right answer almost every time is to trade for the established Star with very few exceptions. It may not result in a championship but it gives you hope.