New Orleans Pelicans Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Unlikely To Pursue Anthony Davis

January 28th, 2019 at 3:54pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers have the pieces to put together a competitive offer for Anthony Davis, but the team currently has no plans to pursue a deal, sources tell Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

It’s hard to envision the Pelicans coveting a package centered around Jimmy Butler, and Joel Embiid simply isn’t going anywhere. That leaves Ben Simmons as the blue-chip asset which makes the most sense and a Simmons-led package would likely beat any other offer should the Sixers put it on the table.

Davis and Simmons are both represented by Rich Paul and a swap of the two is “highly unlikely,” Haynes writes. Philadelphia would be taking an incredible risk by dealing Simmons for Davis without assurance that Davis will stick around long-term.

Philadelphia could ostensibly put together a package without including their big three. Davis will bring in approximately $25.43MM this season and the Sixers a bevy of players on mid-sized deals, such as Wilson Chandler ($12.80MM), J.J. Redick ($12.25), Markelle Fultz ($8.34MM), and Mike Muscala ($5.00MM), whose salaries could be aggregated to match Davis’ figure.

The issue comes down to providing New Orleans value. Fultz was a former No. 1 overall pick but his struggles have deflated his price tag on the trade market, and the team’s veterans hold no value to a franchise that will ultimately begin a rebuild.

The Sixers wield draft capital, as they possess all their future first-round picks, though a closer look at the cupboard and the assets appear more glittery than golden. The Pelicans know that trading Davis to the Sixers would help them win more games and decrease the value of any of Philadelphia’s pick they receive.

The Sixers have an outside chance at landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft should the Kings win the lottery (Sacramento’s pick will go to the Celtics if it’s not the top selection as part of 2017’s Fultz trade). The Kings currently sit 13th in our Reverse Standings, meaning if the season ended today, the odds of the pick becoming the top selection would be one percent.

The pick simply isn’t that valuable, given how the odds are to receive nothing (there would be a zero chance at keeping the pick if the Kings make the playoffs). On the other hand, if Davis is still available on the trade market in late spring and the pick becomes the top selection, is it worth trading the No. 1 pick for a player who may bolt in a year?

The team does own Miami’s 2021 unprotected first-round pick and it could be the key piece in making a splash that doesn’t involve its trading away a current member of its big three. Still, unless Davis adds Philadelphia to its wish list, Elton Brand & Co. will look elsewhere for another big addition.

Knicks, Lakers Expected To Make Offer For Anthony Davis

January 28th, 2019 at 2:43pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks and Lakers are each preparing to make an offer to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reports.

The Lakers’ front office met earlier today to discuss potential offers as well as mapping out the franchise’s plans. LeBron James and Davis share an agent and speculation about Davis’ preference will continue to point at the 25-year-old coming to Los Angeles.

The Knicks may be the lead contender for Davis in the Eastern Conference. Haynes hears that the Celtics are not a top destination for Davis due to the uncertainty surrounding Kyrie Irving re-signing with the team. Irving vowed to stay in Boston at the beginning of the season, though Davis’ camp subscribes to the notion that the point guard re-signing is not a done deal.

Kristaps Porzingis and Kevin Knox headline the Knicks’ most valuable trade chips. New York will also have a top draft pick in June, which will certainly be among the favorites for the No. 1 pick leading up to the Draft Lottery.

If the Knicks land Davis, it would increase their chances of landing a second star. The team has long been a fan of Kevin Durant. Kemba Walker and Irving will both be available and would fit in nicely next to Davis.

Early reports of what the Pelicans may accept included Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma. Haynes believes Brandon Ingram would also have to be included along with other salary-cap fillers and other assets.

Anthony Davis Notes: Knicks, Dominos, Reactions

January 28th, 2019 at 2:19pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Anthony Davis wants to be traded to a championship-contending team and the Lakers with LeBron James stand out as the likeliest option given that both Davis and James are represented by agent Rich Paul. The Knicks don’t qualify as a contender but they have the lure of New York City and will always be included in any conversation of a star player switching teams.

Kevin Pelton (in a collaborate piece among ESPN scribes) believes the Knicks should offer Kristaps Porzingis in exchange for Davis. Porzingis will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season and Pelton cites the Latvian’s health and projected lucrative deal as reasons he’d consider making the swap.

Here’s more news and reactions stemming from Davis’ trade request:

There’s chatter within NBA circles that Davis wouldn’t hate playing in New York, Royce Young of ESPN.com writes (same piece). Young adds that landing Davis would make the Knicks a much more attractive option this summer for top free agents, such as Kevin Durant.
Can we find another connection between Davis and the Knicks? Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News relays (Twitter feed) that Davis’ longtime trainer, Marcell Scott, lives in New York and works with Knicks rookie Mitchell Robinson.
The Pelicans should focus on landing multiple picks in the 2022 draft, which could be the first draft where the one-and-done rule is no longer in effect, Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet contends (Twitter links). The scribe adds that the team should also look for draft picks in exchange for their other veterans, such as Jrue Holiday and Nikola Mirotic.
Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) wonders if the Timberwolves will attempt to get involved in trade talks with the Pelicans if the New Orleans goes into fire sale mode. Minnesota had extensive talks with the franchise while it was shopping around for the best Jimmy Butler deal.
The whole league is caught up in the buzz surrounding Davis’ trade request and Durant, who infamously left Oklahoma City to join a better situation in Golden State, believes Davis shouldn’t be ridiculed for letting his preference known. “Its AD wanting to play basketball somewhere,” Durant tells Anthony Slater of The Athletic (Twitter link). “It’s not like the president shutting down the government. It’s basketball…We all, as players, we want guys to do exactly what they want to do in this league. They have a short amount of time,”

Pelicans Have Been Preparing For Anthony Davis’ Trade Request

January 28th, 2019 at 12:22pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The timing of Anthony Davis‘ trade request caught the Pelicans off-guard, but the franchise has been preparing for the moment since Davis signed with agent Rich Paul, Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated relays (Twitter links).

Despite the planning, it’s no guarantee that New Orleans trades Davis before the deadline. The front office is well aware of the Celtics’ stockpile of assets and it hopes that Boston will call to discuss the framework of a potential deal once the team is free from Kyrie Irving‘s current deal come July.

The Pelicans hope to compare Boston’s potential offer with the offers from rival suitors. Davis has not given the Pelicans a specific list of teams that he wants to be traded to, Paul tells FS1’s Chris Broussard (Twitter link). However, the timing of the request is curious considering the Celtics can’t make a deal until the summer.

Western Notes: Holiday, Grizzlies, Kings

January 28th, 2019 at 10:05am CST by ChrisCrouse

Anthony Davis has requested a trade and it could have a domino effect on the rest of the Pelicans‘ roster. Jrue Holiday, who is gaining All-Star consideration this year, could be viewed as an attractive trade asset, Bobby Marks of ESPN.com writes.

Holiday, who signed a five-year deal with New Orleans in 2017, is making approximately $26MM this season and will take home the same amount over the next two campaigns. His deal contains a player option worth slightly under $26.9MM for the 2021/22 season.

Marks examines some other potential sellers at the trade deadline. Here are the highlights from the teams in the Western Conference:

The Grizzlies are open for business when it comes to trading Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. Conley has the most on-court value, Marks notes. Conley’s deal runs through the 2021/22 season and he’ll take home approximately $34.5MM in the final year of the deal. The point guard will turn 33 prior to that season and his age and length of the deal present risks for rival suitors.
Marks expects Garrett Temple, JaMychal Green and Justin Holiday to garner interest from teams in contention for the playoffs. It was previously reported that teams were calling Memphis about Green and Temple. Holiday, whom the Grizzlies recently traded for, can not be dealt in combination with any other player.
The Kings are outside the playoff picture and have little incentive to tank considering their first-rounder will go to either Philadelphia or Boston, Marks notes. The team possesses roughly $11MM in cap space, though it doesn’t have to utilize it by the trade deadline. The ability to use the cap space will expire on June 30, so Sacramento could make a deal closer to the NBA draft.

Anthony Davis Tells Pelicans He Wants Out

January 28th, 2019 at 8:29am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pelicans have been informed that Anthony Davis won’t sign a contract extension with the team and he’d prefer to be traded.

“Anthony wants to be traded to a team that allows him a chance to win consistently and compete for a championship,” Davis’ agent Rich Paul tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com. “Anthony wanted to be honest and clear with his intentions and that’s the reason for informing them of this decision now. That’s in the best interests of both Anthony’s and the organization’s future.”

According to Wojnarowski, New Orleans has no desire to move Davis before this year’s trade deadline. The majority of NBA teams are expected to check in with the Pelicans.

The Celtics won’t be able to make a deal for Davis before the deadline, as they are restricted by the Rose Rule. Teams can only roster one player with that kind of provision and Kyrie Irving‘s deal qualifies. Irving becomes a free agent on July 1 and the Celtics could re-sign the point guard and agree to a trade for Davis, though the transaction couldn’t be completed until that date.

The Lakers are determined to acquire Davis, sources tell Woj. Los Angeles has an opportunity to pursue a deal while Boston, arguably the franchise with the greatest trade assets, is forced to sit on the sidelines. If Los Angeles is going to put together a package for Davis, it will start with Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac and a future No. 1 pick, sources tell Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

Poor Team Construction Continues To Plague Pelicans

January 27th, 2019 at 9:13pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

It’s certainly hard to build playoff contenders in the NBA on a regular basis, but the Pelicans have failed to have much meaningful playoff success throughout Anthony Davis‘ career.

As Martin Rogers writes for USA Today Sports, if Davis does indeed leave in the near future, the Pelicans have no one to blame but themselves due to struggles in constructing a competitive team around him.

Pelicans GM Dell Demps has certainly tried to make significant moves to build a contender around Davis, most notably the Pelicans’ trade for DeMarcus Cousins two seasons ago.

Nikola Mirotic Out 1-2 Weeks With Calf Injury

January 25th, 2019 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans, already missing star big man Anthony Davis, will be without another key frontcourt player for at least the next week. The club announced in a press release on Thursday evening that Nikola Mirotic is dealing with a right calf strain and will be re-evaluated in a week. Shams Charania of The Athletic suggests (via Twitter) that Mirotic may end up missing a week or two due to the injury.

Anthony Davis May Return Next Week

January 23rd, 2019 at 4:44pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis received some good news after meeting with specialists today about his injured finger, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Davis will be evaluated again on Friday and could return to the court by next week, according to his agent, Rich Paul. “It’s a better outcome than we originally feared,” Paul said.

The diagnosis is a volar plate avulsion fracture to the left index finger, and Paul told Wojnarowski that Davis will be “re-evaluated every 48 to 72 hours” after Friday’s examination (Twitter link). “It’s more of an injury of pain tolerance,” Paul explained. “They need to see the swelling go down and the range of motion increase.” He added that the plan is to “proceed with caution” in determining when it’s safe for Davis to start playing again (Twitter link).

Davis displayed “significant improvent” in his range of motion during today’s exam, tweets Scott Kushner of The Advocate. Davis’ doctors and the Pelicans‘ medical staff reached the same diagnosis on the injury, he adds.

Davis was hurt last Friday and was projected to miss one to two weeks of action. A complete fracture could have kept him out for a month or longer. The Pelicans need Davis back as soon as possible to keep their playoff hopes alive as they trail the eighth-place Clippers by three games, but are stuck in 12th place.

Reaching the postseason may be crucial to their hopes of a long-term arrangement with Davis, who will be eligible for a supermax extension this summer and can become a free agent in 2020.

Charania’s Latest: Wizards, Hornets, Grizzlies, DSJ

January 23rd, 2019 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

As Shams Charania of The Athletic details in his latest round-up of trade rumors from around the NBA, there still aren’t many clear-cut sellers out there, which may limit activity leading up to the February 7 deadline. However, clubs like the Wizards and Magic still haven’t made any decisions one way or the other and could end up being sellers if they’re trending downward a couple weeks from now, says Charania.

The Wizards have made it “adamantly clear” the Bradley Beal isn’t going anywhere, league sources tell Charania. Otto Porter could be more available though, according to Charania, who hears that the Jazz are among the clubs to show interest in Porter.

The Hornets are another team competing for one of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spots and – like the Wizards – have made it clear that they don’t intend to move their star guard. Nonetheless, teams have tested the Hornets on Kemba Walker, says Charania, citing sources who say that the Mavericks recently inquired on Walker and were told Charlotte wants to keep him.

Charania’s article includes many more rumors on the trade market, so let’s round up some of the highlights…

Despite indicating they’re willing to listen to inquiries on Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, Grizzlies officials told players on Tuesday that the team remains committed to winning and to tune out any trade noise, writes Charania. Elsewhere on the Memphis front, JaMychal Green is expected to attract significant trade interest and the Grizzlies have attempted to engage the Hawks about a Chandler Parsons deal, Charania reports.
Charania adds the Knicks and Lakers to the list of teams that discussed a possible Dennis Smith Jr. trade with the Mavericks. The Magic are also on that list.
In addition to discussing deals involving veterans like Kent Bazemore and Dewayne Dedmon, the Hawks may also consider moving younger players such as Taurean Prince and Tyler Dorsey, says Charania.
According to Charania, the Thunder plan to explore ways to use their traded player exception, which is worth nearly $11MM. Oklahoma City is reportedly seeking a forward who can shoot, though acquiring a player without sending out any salary would increase the club’s tax bill exponentially.
The Sixers are seeking a wing shooter and a center, sources tell Charania.
Cavaliers swingman Rodney Hood has emerged as a “targeted” trade asset, according to Charania, who identifies the Pelicans, Thunder, and Bucks as some of the teams that have scoured the market for wing help.