Lakers owner Jeanie Buss says reports of what her team offered to the Pelicans in an attempt to land Anthony Davis were exaggerated, tweets Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. Buss addressed the rumors in a speech today at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. She couldn’t mention Davis by name because of tampering rules, but said leaks that the Lakers were willing to trade “our entire roster” for “a certain player” were “fake news.”
A report just before last month’s trade deadline said L.A. was prepared to give up all its young talent, offering Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac and Josh Hart to New Orleans, along with a pair of first-round draft picks.
The denial from Buss meshes with a report yesterday by ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, notes Christian Rivas of Silver Screen and Roll.
“My sources have told me within the last 48 hours that what we’ve heard the Lakers offered may not be true,” MacMullen said in an appearance on “The Jump.” “… I think there’s some question about just how much did they offer. Did they even get a chance to offer anything?”
There were rumors in the week before the deadline that former Pelicans GM Dell Demps was refusing to take calls from the Lakers to give them a chance to talk about Davis, so MacMullan may be right when she speculates that a formal offer was never made.
No one has confirmed which players L.A. would have been willing to part with to acquire Davis, but there have been reports that the trade talk had a negative effect on many of those whose names were mentioned. The Lakers haven’t played well since the deadline, falling into 10th place in the West with a 30-32 record.
L.A.’s trade plans involving Davis should become clearer once the season is over and negotiations can resume. However, the Lakers will find a more competitive playing field, with the Celtics and Knicks expected to become actively involved, along with other teams.
so they probably tried to offer NOLA some BS & got declined lol
To some extent… Yet any package involving Ingram, Kuz and 1sts is about equal to what they’ll end up with anyways.
Looking like Lakers will have a lotto pick to offer now tho
How bout we give Nola Jeanie for miss benson! Personally I think her brother Jim did a better job!
Ouch this just proves why NO wanted to wait for what Boston can offer, lakers not doing themselves any justice landing a second superstar.
Now she’s quoting Trump? Things have gotten really bad in Los Angeles. Or maybe Phil is sharing some of his stash.
just remember… 2 weeks ago, Magic was crying about teams not negotiating with him in good faith. Now Buss is saying the rumored offers weren’t even offered.
Maybe both points are vaild. NO wasn’t even allowing an official offer, just stringing along, which is not good faith. Therefore the players were never put in an actual offer. Somtimes you see and hear what you want.
I don’t see how someone could not allow an offer. They could not allow themselves to respond to it, maybe, which was probably the case.
If the Lakers really want Davis, they’d better make a seriously good offer this summer. The Lakers have $65mm already committed for the summer of 2020. Add in Davis $40mm contract with a salary cap around $120mm, that makes $105mm. They still would have to sign Ingram to another contract, that makes $113mm+. That’s not much left to spend without trades.
Davis doesn’t have a $40 million dollar contract
Adam,
If you read PTN’s post closer, he mentions summer of 2020, army which time AD will be signing his new deal that will start around $40M.
That’s also the proposed cap figure, the tax territory will be much higher. For example next year projections: Cap 109mm/ tax 132mm.
2020s could be around 140 million so the Lakers could have a payroll of 139mm-ish and not pay any tax.
Nobody cares.
Well, I guess except everyone who loves talking about train wreck franchises and non playoff teams.
Im definately not trading ingram for injury prone ad. Take kuzma, lonzo and a 1st or maybe 2 1sts thats about it. Tatum averaging 11 a night and celtics picks arent as good as once thought. Pelicans will get less than originally hoped for who ever ad goes too.
And the Pelicans didn’t want the Lakers first offers and they were the only ones bidding. The Pelicans owner made it clear she wasn’t happy how the Lakers handled things. And the Pelicans have said over and over and over they want Tatum. Get over it.
You do understand that the Pelican’s have a new GM. So what they want may have completely changed. Tatum is looking much less valuable though,i was just thinking that watching the lowly Bulls kick Boston lol
The Pelicans owner is calling the shots, and she wants Tatum.
Really??? No wonder the team is that bad, right?
Jackie McMullen seriously. “Did they even get a chance to offer?” Umm yes. Email text fax courier fedex mail ups anytime. Just because Demps was busting Laker chops the whole time doesn’t mean it is believable when the Lakers say nothing was ever said.
Does anybody else think this disaster has anything to do with the Lakers team chemistry, losing to Phoenix, likely out of the playoffs, and so on? Do you sacrifice signing a good free agent this summer so they’ll have cap space next summer? Sixty percent of voters think the Celtics will get AD.
I believe it has had a tremendous impact on the Lakers chemistry.
Man not downvoting really sucks when they are so many outrageous comments… can you please bring the downvote back, please?
Can you please stop giving yourself a like?
I have been saying the only legit player Boston can offer is Tatum, I think I have changed my mind, I’m just not seeing it this season. NO has a new GM so nobody know what they want. I will say Lakers shouldn’t offer everything for AD, he is too injured too often.
The Lakers themselves are fake news. What a disgrace to a once proud franchise. Followed them since Chamberlain and West. It was a bad idea to bring in James and it will not end well either.
the report about fake news is fake news
Sounds like damage control from an owner who is way over her head.
Yup; damage control and way too late to boot. This type of ‘spin’ should have been attempted the week of the trade deadline when the Lakers were going into their funk. Not after dropping a game to the PHX Dregs …..er, Suns.
Agreed