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Latest On Anthony Davis

January 31st, 2019 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

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.

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.

Pelicans Remove Anthony Davis From Intro Video

January 30th, 2019 at 8:42pm CST by Austin Kent

Wednesday night brought a brief moment of levity for a fan base that’s been kicked in the pants repeatedly this week when the Pelicans removed Anthony Davis from the introduction video that plays for fans at the Smoothie King Center, Bleacher Report tweets.

Lakers Notes: Zubac, Trade Candidates, Walton, LeBron

January 30th, 2019 at 2:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Third-year center Ivica Zubac has gone from a little-used player at the end of the Lakers‘ bench to a possible component of an Anthony Davis trade, writes Dan Woike of The Los Angeles Times. Given an opportunity to play, the 21-year-old has averaged 13.2 points and 6.8 rebounds over the past 10 games and has become a frequent part of trade rumors.

“He’s been great. That’s more of the norm in this league, you kind of develop your habits, you play, you get frustrated. … Consistency is a challenge for a young player,” coach Luke Walton said. “You fall out of the rotation. You get hungry and you keep working and you come back in. With him, he’s always had a great attitude and he’s worked hard.”

It’s the Lakers’ collection of young talent — some combination of Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart — that would get a deal done, Woike notes, but Zubac could be valuable as a filler. Still, L.A. wouldn’t mind keeping him to provide bulk against the other Western Conference big men.

There’s more Lakers news to pass along:

Walton met individually with the players rumored to be involved in the Davis deal, just as he did last season when talk emerged that the team was going to clear cap room for a run at LeBron James, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN. A source says the speculation is “weighing heavily” on some of the players who may be headed to New Orleans, although another source said Pelicans GM Dell Demps is “not picking up his phone” to discuss a trade.
Walton tells Kyle Goon of The Orange County Register that James is “just happy to be back on the basketball court again” as he nears a return from a groin strain that has sidelined him for more than a month. James has been participating more in practice lately, rather than spending time in the training room, and has been staying late for extra shooting. “I don’t think he’s going full out yet,” Walton said. “Haven’t really seen him drive the lane and tomahawk dunk on anyone but he’s moving, he’s moving well and he’s getting up and down the court and he’s shooting well. He doesn’t look like he’s hurting at all when he moves.”
Tom Ziller of SB Nation offers some unusual advice to the Lakers to improve their chances of landing Davis — tanking for the rest of the season. While he admits it’s unlikely that L.A. would consider that strategy, Ziller notes that the team is 6-11 since James’ injury and that a mid-lottery pick would be another valuable asset to offer the Pelicans.

Celtics Notes: Hayward, Williams, Davis, Bird

January 30th, 2019 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Gordon Hayward has become a target for hecklers in Boston as he struggles to rebuild his game following last season’s devastating ankle injury, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Hayward continues to struggle with his shot, hitting just 41.6% from the field and averaging 10.6 PPG. He has been limited to two points in each of the last two games, and teams are daring him to shoot from outside.

Despite the difficulties, the Celtics will need Hayward to be at his best for the playoffs, so coach Brad Stevens plans to keep giving him opportunities.

“I think you’ve just got to keep playing him and ultimately he’s going to have some ups and downs and he’s had a couple of games where the ball didn’t go in as much,” Stevens said. “I thought he was active, I thought he did some good things, and when that ball goes in he’ll feel a lot better and it will look a lot better on paper. Ultimately, we’ve got a lot of wings, a lot of other wings played more [Monday] and against Golden State, but there are going to be nights where we are counting on him to close the game because he really got it rolling.”

There’s more today out of Boston:

Rookie center Robert Williams is free from knee pain for the first time since his freshman season in college, relays Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald. The Celtics’ training staff has helped Williams control a condition called popliteal artery entrapment syndrome that kept him from playing through most of summer league. “I can honestly say with the treatment schedule that the tendinitis level has really gone down,” Williams said. “It’s not bothering me near as much as it used to. Definitely a good thing, but have to stay on top of treatment.”
Along with a wealth of young players and draft picks to offer, the Celtics might have an advantage in the Anthony Davis sweepstakes because of Davis’ friendship with Kyrie Irving. “Kyrie and Anthony Davis are boys,” Brian Scalabrine of NBC Sports Boston said in a an appearance on Chris Mannix’s The Crossover NBA podcast. “I think they text like every day.”
Jabari Bird, who has remained on the roster all season despite legal troubles, faces two new charges in his domestic violence case, according to John R. Ellement and Travis Andersen of The Boston Globe. Court documents were released today revealing new counts of witness intimidation and threatening to commit a crime.

Pelicans Notes: Ball, Davis, Lakers, Demps

January 30th, 2019 at 11:08am CST by Arthur Hill

Although Lonzo Ball would reportedly resist a trade to New Orleans, the Pelicans see him as an important part of any potential deal for Anthony Davis, according to Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times. Sources tell her that Ball would become the starting point guard in New Orleans and would be given every opportunity to become a star.

Ball’s representatives had expressed concern that he might not have a clear role in a crowded Pelicans backcourt where Elfrid Payton is the starter at point guard and Jrue Holiday can also play that position. However, Holiday “doesn’t want to be a point guard” and prefers his current role, according to one source. It’s not clear whether the Pelicans intend to keep Payton or trade him to another team if they acquire Ball. He has an expiring $3MM contract and will be a free agent this summer.

There’s more Pelicans news to pass along:

The Lakers believe New Orleans is targeting Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Ivica Zubac as the main components of a Davis trade, relays Sam Amick of The Athletic in an examination of the key players in the drama. However, he adds that L.A. should be prepared to give up Brandon Ingram if that’s what it takes to get a deal finalized before next week’s trade deadline. Sources also tell Amick that LeBron James has been visibly frustrated over the direction the Lakers’ season has taken since he was sidelined with a groin injury on Christmas Day. L.A. has fallen to ninth place in the West, which should increase the urgency to acquire Davis as soon as possible.
There has been speculation that the way the Davis situation has played out will eventually cost GM Dell Demps his job, but Justin Verrier of The Ringer points out that there’s no obvious candidate to replace him. In previous years, there was speculation that the Pelicans might ask Joe Dumars to take over, but Verrier suggests Dumars might have been responsible for those rumors. Many of Pelicans’ top executives also work for the NFL’s Saints and don’t have the basketball expertise to run a team. Former Hawks executive Danny Ferry has been serving as a consultant and could be next in line if Demps is dismissed. Verrier’s comments are part of a larger look at whether the NBA has a future in New Orleans.
Davis will talk to the media Friday afternoon for the first time since making his trade request, tweets Scott Kushner of The Advocate.

Knicks Notes: Kanter, Davis, Robinson, Ball

January 30th, 2019 at 9:48am CST by Arthur Hill

Knicks fans have taken Enes Kanter‘s side in his dispute with coach David Fizdale over playing time, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Kanter has sat out the past four games despite reportedly being promised an expanded role in the wake of an injury to Luke Kornet. Fans at Madison Square Garden expressed their support by chanting Kanter’s name during Sunday’s loss to the Heat.

“[If] it was a road game, I understand,” Kanter said. “But it’s a home game, and the fans wanted to see me out here. And they were chanting. I felt bad I couldn’t go out there and help my teammates and the organization. You can’t go out there and help the fans because they’re paying so much money to come watch us. They want to see me out there.”

Fizdale can’t claim it’s because he’s giving more time to younger players, Berman notes, because 30-year-old Lance Thomas has moved into the starting lineup at power forward. Kanter is a prime candidate to be traded by next week’s deadline or bought out if nothing materializes.

“My agent is saying just keep your head up, stay strong and stay in shape and keep being a good teammate and I’ll handle the rest,” Kanter said. “I’m going to leave it to him.”

There’s more this morning out of New York:

The Knicks are expected to be aggressive in their efforts to land Pelicans star Anthony Davis, but the front office isn’t clear on what New Orleans wants in a potential deal, Berman reports in a separate story. New York has a wealth of future assets to offer, including a high lottery pick in this year’s draft and rookie center Mitchell Robinson, a Louisiana native whom the Pelicans have “always liked,” a source tells Berman. New Orleans didn’t have a first-round pick last summer, and Robinson had already been taken before its first selection at No. 52. However, an NBA talent evaluator says the only things the Pelicans would be interested in from the Knicks are Kristaps Porzingis and draft picks.
A trade of Davis to the Lakers could help the Knicks solve their problems at point guard, Berman adds in the same piece. Lonzo Ball reportedly doesn’t want to play in New Orleans and could be available if New York gets involved to make it a three-team deal. Berman states that the Knicks “loved” Ball coming out of college and might see him as a long-term answer. It’s also possible that the Pelicans could keep Ball and look to unload Elfrid Payton, whom New York GM Scott Perry drafted in Orlando and tried to acquire at last year’s trade deadline.
Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic wonders if the Knicks would be willing to surrender their first-round pick and rookie Kevin Knox to the Pelicans to make a deal work for Davis. He also speculates on other players who may be involved in a potential offer.

Blazers To Aggressively Pursue Additional Star

January 29th, 2019 at 11:07pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Trail Blazers are expected to aggressively pursue an additional star-level player to put alongside Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.

Kyler writes that Portland may be a dark horse in the Anthony Davis sweepstakes. The team has a bounty of players on mid-sized deals and the franchise owns all of its future first-rounders.

It’s unclear what exactly the Pelicans are looking for potential trades but I’d speculate that Jusuf Nurkic would certainly be in any Blazers’ deal for Davis. Nurkic re-signed with the team on a four-year. $48MM deal and with the big man thriving this season, his team-friendly contract makes him an attractive trade chip.

Western Notes: Ball, Davis, Clippers

January 29th, 2019 at 7:58pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Suns could benefit from Anthony Davis‘ trade request, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic explains. If Davis gets his way and lands in Los Angeles, Lonzo Ball could be shipped elsewhere and chatter out of Ball’s camp is that he prefers to go somewhere without an established point guard.

Phoenix is one of the few teams in immediate need of a starting floor general. Rankin identifies Josh Jackson as a player who could be sent to the Pelicans in a potential Lakers-Pelicans-Suns three way trade. Dealing Jackson for Ball makes sense for a team with a bevy of young prospects on the roster.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Davis didn’t earn a starting spot in the All-Star game in the crowded Western Conference and Marc Stein of The New York Times (via his latest newsletter) hears that it’s reasonable to conclude that his reserve status in the game is among the “frustration factors” that helped convince him that now is the time to push for a trade from the Pelicans.
Stein (in the same newsletter) gets the sense that the Clippers are genuinely confident that they can land Kawhi Leonard this summer. The team isn’t allowed to publicly say anything about Leonard, per tampering regulations.
The Jazz are looking for a third option behind Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert and Brad Rock of The Deseret News examines whether they have a favorable enough situation to keep a top player should the team make a deal. Rock argues that it remains difficult to attract top talent if a franchise doesn’t have name brand, good weather, or reside in a major city.

Bucks Preparing Offer For Anthony Davis?

January 29th, 2019 at 6:38pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Lakers appear to be the favorite to land Anthony Davis, though it isn’t stopping other teams from pursuing the former No. 1 overall pick. The Bucks are entering the Davis sweepstakes, according to longtime sports journalist Gery Woelfel (Twitter link).

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only player who isn’t on the table in trade talks, Woelfel hears. Still, if the Pelicans are looking to rebuild post-AD, it’ll be difficult for Milwaukee to make a competitive offer.

The Bucks are unable to trade a first-round pick until the 2023 season at the earliest, as the Suns own their 2019 selection and the Cavs own their 2021 pick. Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton can hit free agency this summer, which decreases their trade value, and after Milwaukee’s big three, there isn’t much on the roster to get overly excited about as a player headlining a trade package (apologies to President Malcolm Brogdon).

Milwaukee would provide Davis with a chance to win, as the team sits atop the Eastern Conference standings. The Giannis-AD pairing would certainly be among the most exciting in the league, though it feels like a pipe dream for all the Wisconsin hopefuls.

NBA Fines Anthony Davis $50,000

January 29th, 2019 at 4:55pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The NBA has fined Anthony Davis $50K for violating the CBA. It’s illegal under the agreement for players or their representatives to make public trade demands and that’s exactly what Anthony’s agent, Rich Paul, did on Monday by speaking with Adrian Wojnarowski and other media members.

“The fine is for statements that were made by Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, in an intentional effort to undermine the contractual relationship between Davis and the Pelicans,” the NBA explained in its statement.

The Pelicans were recently told by Davis and his reps that the 25-year-old would not be re-signing with New Orleans once his current deal expires and that he would prefer to be traded. The team’s front office responded in a statement on Monday, declaring that the Pelicans will make the deal on their “terms” and “timeline.”

The $50K penalty is the most that the league can fine a player without giving him the ability to file a grievance, Bobby Marks of ESPN.com tweets. Davis is making approximately $25.4MM this season and the fine represents less than 0.2% of his salary. For context, if someone made a $50K salary, that would be equivalent to about $98.