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Latest On The Anthony Davis Trade

June 16th, 2019 at 9:09am CST by Arthur Hill

The addition of David Griffin in New Orleans and the lottery fortunes of both teams enabled the Lakers and Pelicans to work out an Anthony Davis trade yesterday after negotiations failed in February, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Griffin, whom the Pelicans hired in April as executive vice president of basketball operations, was “the biggest difference” this time around, a source tells Shelburne, adding that he had the freedom to “negotiate fairly and frankly.”

Although they made a show of dealing with the Lakers before the deadline, the Pelicans weren’t willing to entrust a franchise-altering deal to former GM Dell Demps, whom they were about to fire. Ownership in New Orleans resented the way the Lakers tried to force them into a deal and never gave serious consideration to any offers from L.A., Shelburne adds. Demps would only talk to former Lakers president Magic Johnson, not GM Rob Pelinka, then would write down the names being offered and leak them to the press, which led to chemistry issues in the L.A. locker room.

In addition to bringing Griffin into the equation, the situation changed when the Lakers landed the No. 4 pick in the lottery, giving them another valuable asset to include in their offer. The Pelicans might use that selection to add another top rookie to team with Zion Williamson or they might deal it to increase a haul that already includes three picks and three talented young players.

There’s more this morning on the NBA’s first blockbuster trade of the offseason:

Although the Lakers got the best player in the deal, they only receive a C-plus grade from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, while the Pelicans get an A-minus. With the Celtics refusing to part with Jayson Tatum because they weren’t sure of a long-term commitment from Davis, the return of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart plus the draft picks was the best they were going to do, Pelton contends. They already have better talent to surround Williamson with than there were able to amass around Davis. Pelton states that the Lakers had to move on Davis because they were in danger of striking out in free agency, but they gave up a lot of cost-controlled young talent and now have a top-heavy roster that will have to be filled with bargain signings.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated sees the deal as a huge win for the Lakers, who now return to relevancy after six years of missing the playoffs. LeBron James is about to turn 35 in December and L.A. was running out of time to surround him with stars. Mannix calls the deal a “career-defining moment” for Pelinka.
After the trade was announced, the Lakers became clear betting favorites to win next year’s title. BetOnline.ag lists them as +350, well ahead of the second-place Bucks at +700.

More On Anthony Davis-To-Lakers Trade Agreement

June 15th, 2019 at 9:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Just days after the NBA Finals and less than a week before the annual draft, the Pelicans and Lakers shook up the basketball world with one of the biggest blockbusters in league history. New Orleans agreed to trade disgruntled superstar Anthony Davis to the Lakers for guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, forward Brandon Ingram and three first-round picks, including the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft.

We have more details and developments regarding the trade, which can’t be made official until next month.

The other two first-rounders the Pelicans will receive are a 9-30 protected pick in 2021 – which subsequently becomes unprotected in 2022 – and an unprotected pick in 2024. New Orleans will also have the right to swap unprotected first-rounders in 2o23 and will have the option to defer the 2024 pick until 2025, according to reports from Tim Bontemps of ESPN and Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter links).
The Pelicans are already receiving significant interest in the fourth overall pick, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets.
Ingram is expected to get back on the court next month and be ready for training camp, according to Wojnarowski. He did not play after March 2 due to a blood clot in his right shoulder.
ESPN Jonathan Givony updated his mock draft in the aftermath of the deal, with Texas Tech shooting guard Jarrett Culver going to New Orleans at No. 4, Vanderbilt guard Darius Garland heading to the Cavaliers at No. 5, North Carolina shooting guard Coby White ticketed to the Suns at No. 6 and Virginia power forward De’Andre Hunter winding up with the Bulls at No. 7 (Twitter link).
Former Lakers president Magic Johnson, who called GM Rob Pelinka a backstabber in a recent TV interview, praised his former front office partner after the deal. Johnson tweeted, “Great trade Rob Pelinka! Job well done.”
The Celtics’ chances of re-signing free-agent-to-be Kyrie Irving took a major hit with Davis heading to L.A. instead of Boston, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated tweets.
New Orleans will have $18.8MM in cap space after the trade is finalized, Bobby Marks of ESPN tweets.
LaVar Ball, Lonzo’s outspoken father, called the trade “the worst move the Lakers ever did in their life” and guarantees they won’t win another championship, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN tweets.

Pelicans Agree To Trade Anthony Davis To Lakers

June 15th, 2019 at 5:37pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans have reached an agreement to trade All-Star big man Anthony Davis to the Lakers for guards Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart, forward Brandon Ingram and three first-round picks, including the No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

The rest of the Pelicans’ haul includes a 9-30 protected first-rounder in 2021, which becomes unprotected in 2022, and an unprotected first-rounder in 2024.

New Orleans will also have the right to swap unprotected first-rounders in 2o23 and will have the option to defer the 2024 pick until 2025, according to reports from Tim Bontemps of ESPN and Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter links).

[UPDATE: Davis trade will become a three-team deal]

The Lakers immediately become championship contenders with Davis joining forces with LeBron James. Davis’ agent Rich Paul, also James’ agent, had tried to steer trade talks toward the Lakers over the winter after Davis’ desire to be traded was made public. But Davis didn’t get his wish at the time.

Paul and Davis recently met with the Pelicans’ new top executive, David Griffin, who tried to convince Davis to rescind his trade request. Davis declined and expressed his desire to play long-term for either the Lakers or Knicks.

GM Rob Pelinka, who has been under fire after criticism from former Lakers president Magic Johnson, pulled off a major coup by winning the Davis sweepstakes over the Knicks and Celtics, among others. Los Angeles gave up plenty in the deal but didn’t have to include another talented big man, Kyle Kuzma.

Davis could sign an extension with the Lakers but still intends to test free agency next summer, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets.

The Lakers will have either $27.8MM or $32.5MM in cap room after the deal to pursue a high-level free agent, depending upon timing and Davis’ willingness to waive his $4MM trade bonus, ESPN salary cap expert Bobby Marks tweets.

The trade cannot be officially finalized until after the new league year begins in July. It may be even be completed as late as July 30 — newly-drafted players can be traded immediately without signing a rookie scale contract, but if they sign that contract, they aren’t eligible to be dealt for 30 days. Waiting those 30 days would be advantageous to the Lakers for cap-related reasons, as Marks notes (via Twitter).

The Lakers still don’t have quite enough cap room to max out a free agent like Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving or Kemba Walker but they’re close to it, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Naturally, one of those free agents might take a little less to form a superstar trio in Los Angeles or the Lakers could make other moves to clear more cap room. Walker will be the Lakers’ top free agent target, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.

Boston refused to part with its top young player, forward Jayson Tatum, in trade talks with the Pelicans, Stein add in another tweet. That put the Lakers in the driver’s seat for Davis’ services.

With Ball and Hart joining Jrue Holiday, the Pelicans have greatly enhanced their backcourt. They now have the No. 1 and No. 4 picks in Thursday’s draft. It’s a slam dunk they’ll select Duke forward Zion Williamson with the top pick and theyll get another high-level prospect, unless they have another trade in the works. Williamson and Ingram should be a formidable duo at the forward spots and the Pelicans can now concentrate on bringing in another big man to make all the other pieces work.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lakers, Celtics Engaged In Anthony Davis Trade Talks

June 12th, 2019 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers and Celtics are each engaged with the Pelicans in trade talks involving Anthony Davis, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

While the Lakers were unable to land Davis at the trade deadline in February, they continue to be viewed as a strong contender in the AD sweepstakes. Wojnarowski referred to them as the leader in the clubhouse during a SportsCenter appearance earlier this week, while Ian Begley of SNY.tv hears from a league source that the Lakers have made some progress toward a multi-team deal Davis deal.

According to Wojnarowski, the No. 4 overall pick in next week’s draft – currently held by L.A. – has been discussed as a trade chip that could help New Orleans acquire a high-level player in a multi-team deal. Wojnarowski had reported earlier this week that new Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin was exploring scenarios involving multiple teams in an effort to get New Orleans the sort of assets the team is seeking.

Marc Stein of The New York Times reports (via Twitter) that the Lakers have made both Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram available in trade talks for Davis, in addition to the No. 4 overall pick, which may be re-routed to a third team if a deal comes to fruition. Stein adds (via Twitter) that the viability of the Lakers’ offer may hinge on what kind of player that No. 4 pick could attract. If the Pelicans can get another player they really like on top of Ball or Ingram, it would help tip the scales.

It also appears possible that Kyle Kuzma may be a deal-breaker for the Pelicans. Los Angeles is trying to keep Kuzma out of any trade package, per Stein and Tania Ganguli and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times (Twitter links). However, the Pelicans want Kuzma as part of the return for Davis if they make a deal with L.A., according to Ganguli and Turner, who say that the forward is the young Laker most coveted by the Pelicans.

In their full report, the Times’ duo even suggests that the Lakers may have the opportunity to keep the No. 4 pick if they include Kuzma in their offer, though it sounds as if they’d probably have to add other extra assets in that scenario. The Lakers are trying to exercise some level of restraint in trade talks, given their leverage as Davis’ preferred destination, per Wojnarowski.

As for the Celtics, they apparently haven’t been deterred by the public comments made by agent Rich Paul, who has made it clear that Davis would prefer to end up with the Lakers or Knicks and would just be a rental if he goes to Boston.

“They can trade for him, but it’ll be for one year,” Paul said of the Celtics and his client. “I mean: If the Celtics traded for Anthony Davis, we would go there and we would abide by our contractual [obligations] and we would go into free agency in 2020. I’ve stated that to them. But in the event that he decides to walk away and you give away assets? Don’t blame Rich Paul.”

While the Celtics remain in the mix, Ganguli and Turner write that Boston and New York may not be willing to gut their respective rosters in a trade for Davis, since they’re concerned about not having enough leftover talent to be legit contenders.

The Nets and Clippers are among Davis’ other potential suitors, but they haven’t been able to gather any traction in discussions with New Orleans, according to Wojnarowski.

No matter which team Davis plays for in 2019/20, he’s expected to reach free agency next summer, but his camp has strongly suggested that the odds of the All-Star big man re-upping with the Lakers or Knicks are much higher than they’d be with any other team.

If the Celtics or Lakers reach an agreement with the Pelicans on a trade for Davis, it wouldn’t be officially finalized until sometime after the new league year begins in July, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links). Boston isn’t permitted to acquire AD at all while Kyrie Irving is still on his current contract, and the Lakers wouldn’t be able to make salary-matching work at this point.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Draft Updates: Green Room, Culver, Samanic, More

June 12th, 2019 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA continues to invite potential first-round picks to the Green Room for next Thursday’s draft, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who tweets that Nassir Little (UNC), Romeo Langford (Indiana), and Tyler Herro (Kentucky) were the next invitees after the initial nine-player group.

According to Givony (Twitter links), Rui Hachimura (Gonzaga), Brandon Clarke (Gonzaga), PJ Washington (Kentucky) also received Green Room invites, as did international prospect Sekou Doumbouya. That brings us to 16 prospects who are expected to be in the Green Room on draft night, with four others still expected to be invited, per Givony.

Here are a few more draft-related updates:

Within his latest mock draft, Jeremy Woo of SI.com cites league sources who say that both the Suns and Hawks are high on Texas Tech swingman Jarrett Culver. However, it’s possible that neither team will have a shot at him without trading up — Woo has Culver coming off the board at No. 5 to the Cavaliers in his mock.
Croatian forward Luka Samanic has a busy workout schedule, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link), who adds the Warriors and Spurs to the list of teams Samanic has auditioned for. He also has workouts lined up with the Hawks and Bucks.
UCF guard Aubrey Dawkins has worked out for the Celtics, Pelicans, Knicks, and Raptors, and still has the Mavericks, Rockets, and Hornets on his workout schedule, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter links) provides a pair of updates on pre-draft workouts for prospects, reporting that Chris Silva (South Carolina) is working out for the Heat and Spurs, while Shamorie Ponds (St. John’s) worked out for the Cavaliers and Mavericks and has the Sixers and Rockets on tap.

Rich Paul Talks Anthony Davis, Lakers, Celtics

June 12th, 2019 at 9:17am CST by Luke Adams

Anthony Davis‘ agent, Rich Paul, took a good deal of criticism earlier this year when he went public with his client’s trade request just 10 days before the 2019 deadline, seemingly pressuring the Pelicans to get a deal done with the Lakers and indirectly derailing both teams’ seasons in the process.

However, Paul tells S.L. Price of Sports Illustrated that he feels as if going public with Davis’ trade request was his only option. As Paul explains, he told Pelicans GM Dell Demps of AD’s desire to be moved, and Demps – who said he’d talk to team owner Gayle Benson and get back to Paul – instead tried to contact Davis directly and didn’t get back in touch with his agent.

“It was necessary to go public,” Paul told Price. “When I told you, ‘Here’s our intentions,’ and you say, ‘Hey, let me talk to ownership,’ and instead of you talking to ownership you call Anthony Davis? That’s called being ignored. … [Trying to get between a player and his agent] is a no-no. Every GM knows that.”

Price’s feature on Paul includes several other interesting tidbits, including one source telling SI that the agent approached at least one NBA coach to gauge his interest in an assistant role on Frank Vogel‘s staff — both Paul and the Lakers denied that happened.

Here are some more of Paul’s most noteworthy comments from the story, which is worth checking out in full:

On why the Lakers would be a good landing spot for Anthony Davis, with or without fellow Paul client LeBron James on their roster:

“My thing is: Take LeBron off the Lakers. Are the Lakers not a great destination for an arguably top-two player that went to Kentucky and won a national championship, signed with Nike? For a team that’s had centers from George Mikan to Wilt Chamberlain to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Shaq? So now, when you add LeBron, that’s what? The cherry on top. LeBron’s 34 years old. Anthony Davis is 26. So when LeBron’s done playing, the Anthony Davis trade is still rolling. What better place to do it than L.A.?

“I’m trying to help Anthony Davis. Now, if helping Anthony Davis helps LeBron in the long run? So be it. But my goal is Anthony Davis.”

On why the Knicks would also be an appealing destination for Davis:

“The only difference is, they don’t have as many championships as the Lakers. They got a tradition. It’s a big market—not that it’s only big markets. They have cap space, flexibility, they’re able to absorb more than one star. What’s wrong with that?”

On the idea of the Celtics trading for Davis:

“They can trade for him, but it’ll be for one year. I mean: If the Celtics traded for Anthony Davis, we would go there and we would abide by our contractual [obligations] and we would go into free agency in 2020. I’ve stated that to them. But in the event that he decides to walk away and you give away assets? Don’t blame Rich Paul.”

On Davis’ plans to test free agency in 2020:

“Where he’s going to land? I have no idea. And it don’t matter. We’re going into free agency. Why does it matter to me where he goes? Earth: We’re going into free agency. He has a year, he has to play. But after that, I can’t say it no bigger: WE ARE GOING INTO FREE AGENCY. 2020: ANTHONY DAVIS WILL BE IN FREE AGENCY.”

(Note: The team that holds Davis’ Bird rights when he enters free agency in 2020 will be able to offer him more years and more money than any other team.)

Lakers’ Dilemma: No Top Free Agents Without Anthony Davis?

June 11th, 2019 at 9:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Top free agents may not seriously consider signing with the Lakers if the team doesn’t trade for Anthony Davis, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said on the network’s Mock Draft Special (h/t the Showtime Forum).

“The Lakers are not a frontrunner or even really a major consideration among any of the elite free agents,” Wojnarowski said of a scenario where the team doesn’t trade for Davis.

Los Angeles plans to use the No. 4 overall pick as part of a trade package in an attempt to entice the Pelicans. That selection is among the highest-valued assets among presumed Davis contenders, as we previously detailed. Woj believes that if the Lakers are picking at that spot on draft night, the franchise will be “in trouble.”

The Lakers are expected attempt to sign Kevin Durant regardless of how long they expect the former MVP to be sidelined. Other marquee free agents that the club is expected to pursue include Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, and Jimmy Butler.

Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin had initially hoped to convince Davis to remain in New Orleans. The franchise has reportedly softened its stance on fulfilling Davis’ trade request and Griffin has reportedly named his terms: An All-Star player, a young player with the potential to be an All-Star, and multiple first-round picks.

The Lakers don’t have an All-Star caliber player on the roster outside of LeBron James. They have an assortment of intriguing prospects and may need to bring in a third team willing to part with a player of that caliber in order to get a deal done.

Achilles Injury Not Expected To Deter Durant’s Suitors

June 11th, 2019 at 9:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Durant‘s Achilles injury won’t change the offseason plans for several NBA franchises. The Warriors, Knicks, Nets, Lakers, and Clippers are all expected to pursue Durant, with his injury unlikely to cool their enthusiasm, sources tell David Aldridge of The Athletic.

There’s optimism around the league that Durant will come back from the ailment and remain among the NBA’s elite, making him worthy of a maximum-salary investment this summer.

“It’s not like he’s gonna fall from the top player in the league to number 50, even with the Achilles,” a league executive told Aldridge. “Maybe he falls into the top 10. I still think KD is a guy that’s going to score 20, 25 a game.”

Aldridge suggests that that the price for Anthony Davis has gone up as a result of the Durant injury. Durant could miss all of next season and with one fewer star available to suit up, the scarcity of those elite players in both the free agency and trade market may give added leverage to the Pelicans.

The Achilles injury won’t stop Durant from seeking a new deal. He’s long been expected to turn down his $31.5MM player option for next season, though with the injury, the decision is no longer a slam dunk. Durant officially has until June 29 to make a contractual move.

Southwest Notes: Morant, Zion, Valanciunas

June 11th, 2019 at 5:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Ja Morant met with the Grizzlies over the weekend, as Shams Charania of The Athletic passes along (Twitter link). Chris Herrington of the Daily Memphian confirms that the meeting took place and hears that the point guard remains the favorite to be selected with the No. 2 overall pick.

Morant recently underwent surgery on his right knee in a procedure that was deemed preventative. The health of Morant doesn’t appear to be an issue for Memphis, though it’s not certain if the team has seen the 19-year-old’s medical records.

Here’s more from around the Southwest Division:

Zion Williamson met with the Pelicans earlier this week, Charania tweets. The Duke star is still expected to go No. 1 overall.
Veteran center Jonas Valanciunas has a decision to make on his $17.6MM player option and David Cobb of The Commerical Appeal contends that it may be beneficial for both sides if Valanciunas elects to play out the year under that deal. The 27-year-old may not make that kind of annual salary with a new deal and the Grizzlies would have an opportunity to see if he can be a long-term fit with the club.
Austin Rivers recently went on ESPN and spoke about the “frustrating” Rockets offense, as Ameer Tyree of Sporting News relays. Rivers said playing alongside James Harden‘s ball dominant game was difficult at times. “I think it works. We just have to mix it up. I think we have to a better job of mixing it up just a little bit,” the guard said.

Latest On Anthony Davis

June 11th, 2019 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

After new Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin spoke during his first few weeks in New Orleans about wanting to retain Anthony Davis, he has apparently become more open to the idea of a trade as of late. One Monday report provided several details on the kind of return the Pelicans are looking for in exchange for Davis, as well as the scenarios they’re exploring, while another indicated that AD’s own wish list may be narrowing.

As Scott Kushner of The Advocate writes, those two reports showed each side – the Pelicans and Davis’ camp – looking to amplify its own message. The Pelicans are aiming to maximize their potential return in any deal, while Davis is making it more difficult for the 27 teams not on his wish list to feel confident that he’d be more than just a one-year rental.

While Griffin is facing pressure to get good value back for Davis, he indicated today that he won’t let next Thursday’s draft act as a deadline forcing him to get something done as soon as possible, as Andrew Lopez of The Times-Picayune relays (via Twitter).

“If things evolve in such a way that it’s time for us to make a decision relative to Anthony Davis or any other part of the organization, we will,” Griffin said. “But we’re not in a hurry to do anything. WE don’t feel there is a time sensitivity to anything we’re talking about. That includes AD’s desire to stay or not stay. It’s not something there’s a shot clock on.”

Here’s more on Davis and the Pelicans:

The Knicks, one of the two teams on Davis’ wish list (along with the Lakers), have engaged in talks with other teams in an effort to improve their offer for the All-Star big man, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv. However, Begley notes that some people in the organization are uncomfortable with giving up too many major assets for Davis, citing the Carmelo Anthony deal as a cautionary tale.
Marc Berman of The New York Post also hears that the Pelicans don’t find the Knicks‘ young assets especially attractive in a package, suggesting that New York would need to find a third team to help complete a deal for Davis. A source tells Berman that the Pelicans consider the Celtics to have the best young assets.
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, there aren’t many people in league circles who believe that Griffin will get everything on his wish list in a Davis trade (an All-Star player, a young player with All-Star upside, and multiple first-round picks). However, sources tell Kyler that more than half the teams in the league have registered some interest, and there are “a lot” of conversations taking place.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores what Davis offers from the Lakers, Knicks, Celtics, Nets, and Clippers might look like.