Anthony Davis Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pelicans Notes: Davis, Holiday, Tatum

February 8th, 2019 at 10:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Chatter surrounding the Pelicans sitting Anthony Davis for the rest of the season resulted in the league informing the franchise that there would be consequences if the All-Star doesn’t play, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The NBA referenced the rules put in place two seasons ago restricting teams from resting healthy players. The Pelicans were told the fine would be $100K for every game that Davis sat.

New Orleans’ front office met with Davis after the trade deadline passed to discuss the plan for the rest of the season. Davis expressed his desire to play as many games as possible as the season winds down. The team decided it would act “ethically” and give Davis the role he had prior to his latest injury with a few caveats.

Davis will not play in back-to-backs and it’s possible that his minutes could be reduced. Davis will get to choose which end of the back-to-back he will play for the remainder of the season, sources tell Windhorst. After tonight’s tilt with Minnesota, the team has 26 games remaining.

Here’s more from New Orleans:

Will the Celtics offer Jayson Tatum to the Pelicans in exchange for Davis over the summer? Sean Deveney of Sporting News confirms previous reports indicating while Boston has made no promises, the Pelicans were left with the impression that Tatum will be on the table in future trade talks.
The Celtics were upset about the news of Kyrie Irving‘s level of interest in New York as they feel the story was planted by Davis’ agent in an attempt to deter the team from being comfortable with promising a haul to the Pelicans for Davis. “It was cheap and underhanded,” a source tells Deveney.
The Pelicans are expected to watch Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr. closely over the remainder of the season, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com writes. Lowe contends that the Knicks will need the Pelicans to increase their interest in at least one of their prospects if they don’t land the No. 1 pick and are going to have a chance at trading for Davis this summer.
Jrue Holiday has no interest in being on a lottery-bound team and if the Pelicans eventually trade Davis, his level of content will depend on what comes back in the trade, Lowe adds in the same piece.

Anthony Davis To Return To Pelicans’ Lineup

February 8th, 2019 at 8:57am CST by JD Shaw

FEBRUARY 8: While Davis will return to the court for the Pelicans, he’s expected to play in fewer – if any – back-to-backs, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who adds (via Twitter) that AD’s season average of 37.0 minutes per game also figures to decline going forward.

FEBRUARY 7: Despite considering shutting Anthony Davis down for the rest of the season, the Pelicans will allow Davis to return to the regular rotation, general manager Dell Demps said today in a statement.

“Anthony Davis will play the remainder of the 2018-19 season for the New Orleans Pelicans,” Demps said. “A number of factors contributed to this decision. Ultimately, Anthony made it clear to us that he wants to play and he gives our team the best opportunity to win games.

“Moreover, the Pelicans want to preserve the integrity of the game and align our organization with NBA policies,” Demps continued. “We believe Anthony playing upholds the values that are in the best interest of the NBA and its fans. We look forward to seeing Anthony in a Pelicans uniform again soon.”

New Orleans opted to keep Davis, who formally requested a trade from the team last month, past the NBA’s trading deadline today.

Davis was recently cleared by the team’s medical staff and sought a return to the lineup earlier in the week, but was rebuffed by Pelicans management as the team was seeking potential deals, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The Pelicans next play at home against the Timberwolves on Friday, with the team not including Davis on its injury report.

Davis, 25, has averaged 29.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game this season with New Orleans, shooting 51% from the floor and 33% from 3-point range in 41 contests.

LeBron, Giannis Draft 2019 All-Star Teams

February 7th, 2019 at 6:23pm CST by JD Shaw

LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo drafted their teams for the 2019 All-Star Game on Thursday, officially finalizing the rosters for this year’s contest. James and Antetokounmpo were chosen as captains because they were the All-Star starter from each conference with the most fan votes.

Both James and Antetokounmpo first had to select from a pool of starters, then from a list of reserve players. The starters, which consisted of eight other players, were voted on by the fans, players and media this season. The reserve players were voted on by the NBA’s 30 head coaches.

James drafted Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard and James Harden as starters, choosing Durant as his first selection. His reserves were Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, Russell Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge, Karl-Anthony Towns, Bradley Beal and Dwyane Wade.

Antetokounmpo drafted Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Paul George and Kemba Walker as his starters, selecting Curry with his first pick. He drafted Khris Middleton, Nikola Jokic, Ben Simmons, Blake Griffin, D’Angelo Russell, Nikola Vucevic, Kyle Lowry and Dirk Nowitzki as his reserves.

James later traded Westbrook to Team Giannis in exchange for Simmons, making an effort to repair the relationship of Westbrook and Embiid.

The 68th NBA All-Star Game is set to commence on February 17 at Spectrum Center, featuring 26 of the best basketball players in the world.

Pelicans Not Trading Anthony Davis Today

February 7th, 2019 at 1:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans will hang onto All-NBA big man Anthony Davis through the trade deadline, agent Rich Paul tells Joe Vardon of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The news sets up the Davis trade talks to be the hottest NBA story of the summer, with several teams expected to make offers. It will be celebrated most in Boston, where the Celtics have been to unable to engage the Pelicans in negotiations for Davis because of Rose Rule restrictions. Those will be lifted once Kyrie Irving opts out of his current deal, and Boston is expected to aggressively pursue Davis with a package of draft picks and young players.

It’s not good news for the Lakers, who lose the advantage of trying to deal for Davis without the Celtics involved. L.A. has offered various packages centered around young talent and future first-rounders, but wasn’t able to make any traction with the Pelicans’ front office, which believes the Lakers’ best offers will still be on the table this summer.

The Knicks and Clippers, who made trades in the past week that could enable them to offer two max deals in free agency, may also pursue Davis in hopes of forming the next superteam. They are both on his list of preferred locations, along with the Lakers and Bucks.

A more immediate concern is how much Davis will play over the next two months and whether it will become a distraction for the Pelicans. Although Davis recently received medical clearance after being sidelined with a fractured left index finger, New Orleans has been holding him out of a lineup to avoid further injury in case a trade was finalized before the deadline. Now that the deadline has passed, Davis wants to get back on the court, and it’s not clear whether Pelicans management will be on board.

New Orleans will be a long shot to make the playoffs, no matter how well Davis plays for the rest of the season. At 24-31, the Pelicans are six games out of the eighth spot in the West and just traded one of their top talents, sending Nikola Mirotic to the Bucks.

Arthur Hill contributed to this story.

Latest On Anthony Davis

February 7th, 2019 at 1:20pm CST by Arthur Hill

Some members of the Pelicans organization want to get the Anthony Davis trade done today to eliminate the public relations distraction, but those feelings don’t go all the way to the top, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). The NFL’s Saints remain the priority for owner Gayle Benson and VP Mickey Loomis, who aren’t bothered by the Davis situation.

There’s more news about the top name on the trade market:

The Lakers’ last offer to the Pelicans involved Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac, Josh Hart and a pair of first-round picks, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7. He suggests the Celtics are prepared to offer Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Robert Williams, Al Horford (assuming he opts in) and possibly three first-round picks this summer.
Davis will pressure the Pelicans to start playing him if he’s not dealt before the deadline, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link). “Every game,” a source said. Davis has been sidelined with a fractured left index finger, but recently received medical clearance.
Gambadoro expects Davis to be in the lineup for tomorrow’s game against Minnesota (Twitter link).

Lakers’ Anthony Davis Trade Talks Remain Dormant

February 7th, 2019 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

Discussions between the Lakers and Pelicans about a possible Anthony Davis trade remain “dormant” with the trade deadline about three hours away, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

According to Wojnarowski, there has been no communication between the two teams and there’s not necessarily an expectation that they’ll even talk today. New Orleans seems content to run out the clock and revisit the Davis trade market in the offseason, Woj adds.

The Lakers pursued Davis for about a week following his trade request, but reportedly pulled out of talks on Tuesday because they felt as if they were bidding against themselves. There was a belief that the Lakers’ withdrawal from discussions was designed to get the Pelicans – who never countered L.A.’s offers – to be more active. However, it doesn’t appear New Orleans in any rush to get return to the negotiating table.

The Pelicans believe there will be more options available to them in the offseason, as teams open cap room, restrictions on the Celtics‘ ability to acquire Davis lift, and the Knicks find out where they land in the draft lottery.

New Orleans also reportedly believes that the Lakers’ best offer – which was said to include Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac, and a pair of first-round picks – will still be on the table in the summer, though L.A. has pushed back against that notion.

Much can change in three hours, so it’s possible the Davis rumor mill will pick up steam before today’s 2:00pm CT deadline. For now though, it appears the Pelicans may be content to try their luck on the trade market after the season.

Trade Rumors: Davis, Randolph, Wolves, Morris

February 7th, 2019 at 12:44am CST by Arthur Hill

The Knicks and Lakers are equal on Anthony Davis‘ list of preferred destinations, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. The Clippers and Bucks also remain in the top four, Stein adds. New York may make a bid for Davis before the deadline, but it should be in a stronger position after the draft lottery when everyone knows where its first-rounder will fall (Twitter link).

League sources tell Stein that Davis doesn’t expect to sign his next contract before he reaches free agency in 2020, no matter where he is by then (Twitter link). That means anyone who trades for Davis won’t be assured of a long-term extension.

He has been sidelined with a fractured left index finger, but Davis intends to resume playing regardless of what happens at the trade deadline (Twitter link). He has received medical clearance to return to action, but the Pelicans haven’t divulged their plans for Davis if there’s no trade on Thursday. He was held out of two games this week to avoid further injury.

Here’s a roundup of rumors heading into the trade deadline:

The Lakers are running out of hope that a Davis trade will be completed before the deadline, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Pelicans GM Dell Demps hasn’t responded to Magic Johnson’s latest offer, and it appears New Orleans is content to run out the clock. The Pelicans may never have been serious about dealing with L.A. and might have been trying to sabotage the Lakers as revenge for what they consider to be tampering, tweets Rachel Nichols, host of ESPN’s “The Jump.” “It’s not just possible, it’s what happened,” colleague Brian Windhorst said today in an appearance on the show.
The Mavericks will have buyout talks with newly acquired Zach Randolph, Wojnarowski tweets. The 37-year-old hasn’t played yet this season, but he may be able to help a contender.
The Timberwolves continue to look for someone to take Jeff Teague and Gorgui Dieng, sources tell Chris Hine of The Star-Tribune. Teague has a $19MM player option for next season, while Dieng still has two seasons left on his four-year, $63MM deal. Minnesota hasn’t found much interest, but it may be willing to attach Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Anthony Tolliver or Luol Deng as incentives.
New Pelican Markieff Morris could become a buyout candidate once he’s fully recovered from a neck injury, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN.
The Thunder plan to watch what the Suns do with Wayne Ellington and may be interested if he hits the buyout market, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link).

Celtics Reluctant To Make Promises But Prepared To Offer ‘Explosive’ Package For AD

February 6th, 2019 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans reached out to the Celtics this week and have engaged in talks about the possible framework of a trade for Anthony Davis, reports Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.

According to Himmelsbach, the Pelicans have pushed the Celtics to make guarantees on specific packages they’d be willing to offer for Davis in the summer to ensure that if they keep the All-NBA big man at the deadline, it would be for good reason. Due to an obscure rule related to the designated rookie extension, the C’s are ineligible to acquire AD now as long as Kyrie Irving remains on the roster.

Boston has been reluctant to make any specific promises, since a lot could change in five months. However, sources tell Himmelsbach that the Celtics have made it clear that they’ll be prepared to offer an “explosive” package for Davis when the time comes, and that no player or pick will be off-limits. The club’s collection of assets includes Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and a slew of future first-round picks, including selections from the Kings, Clippers, and Grizzlies.

Himmelsbach’s report covers similar ground to one we relayed earlier today, which indicated that the Pelicans and Celtics have “extensively” discussed Tatum. Boston is understandably unwilling to promise that the former No. 3 pick will be on the table in the offseason, since the landscape could theoretically change significantly between now and then — for instance, Davis could suffer a major injury or Tatum could help lead the C’s to a championship. However, based on various reports, it sounds like the Celtics are giving the Pelicans the impression that Tatum will probably be available.

Davis’ camp has conveyed that Boston isn’t a preferred landing spot for the Pelicans star, but the Celtics are undeterred by those reports, writes Himmelsbach. There’s a belief within the organization that if Davis and Irving are united in the summer, “any unease that either of them has about the future would be washed away,” he adds.

Despite all the rumors swirling around Davis and Irving at the moment, team ownership has made it clear that the focus of this season should be on trying to win a title, per Himmelsbach. The Celtics still believe that’s possible without making any major changes, given their recent hot streak and rise up the Eastern standings.

Trade Rumors: Wolves, A. Davis, Irving, Conley, More

February 6th, 2019 at 12:42pm CST by Luke Adams

After making a big splash earlier in the season by sending Jimmy Butler to Philadelphia, the Timberwolves remain active on the trade market, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, who reports that GM Scott Layden is “canvassing the league for available deals.” Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News relays a similar sentiment, tweeting that Layden has been “much more communicative” than in past years.

According to Wolfson, players on expiring contracts are available, as are Jeff Teague and Gorgui Dieng. However, as of Tuesday, there was “zero sense” that anything was close to getting done. Meanwhile, sources tell Krawczynski that multiple teams checked in last month on Andrew Wiggins to see if the Timberwolves might be willing to move him for “pennies on the dollar.” Those inquires qualified more as due diligence though, and didn’t really go anywhere, per Krawczynski.

Here are several more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Pelicans still have yet to respond to the Lakers‘ most recent trade offer for Anthony Davis, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). L.A. reportedly pulled out of talks on Tuesday after making a big offer on Monday night, though it appears the club would be ready to re-engage if New Orleans makes a counter-offer.
While Kyrie Irving‘s comments on his upcoming free agency last week had some league observers wondering if the Celtics would consider moving him at the trade deadline, the team – unsurprisingly – has no intention to do so, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. “Boston’s not taking calls on Kyrie,” one general manager said. “That was made pretty clear.”
The Grizzlies are believed to be seeking multiple first-round picks in any package for Mike Conley, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. According to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune, the Jazz’s final offer to Memphis was a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and expiring contracts (likely Ricky Rubio and Derrick Favors). The Grizzlies asked for Dante Exum, but were told no, per Jones (Twitter link via John Martin of 92.9 ESPN).
A source tells Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times that the Bulls have received “a handful” of calls about Jabari Parker within the last week. Parker is a candidate to be traded, or to be bought out if Chicago can’t find a suitable deal.
According to Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), the Hawks have started to receive more calls on veteran trade candidates Kent Bazemore, Dewayne Dedmon, and Jeremy Lin. Smith adds (via Twitter) that Knicks forward Noah Vonleh is another trade candidate to watch, as he has generated multiple inquiries.

Celtics, Pelicans Have Extensively Discussed Tatum

February 6th, 2019 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

While the Celtics aren’t permitted to actually complete a trade this week for Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis while Kyrie Irving remains on their roster, there’s nothing stopping the two teams from talking — and it sounds like there has been plenty of talk.

A source with knowledge of those talks tells Sam Amick of The Athletic that Boston and New Orleans have discussed C’s forward Jayson Tatum “extensively,” adding that Tatum is expected to be a major part of negotiations if the two sides reconnect in the summer.

While the Celtics and Pelicans have apparently had a number of discussions about Tatum, it’s worth noting that Amick stops short of saying Boston has promised to include the former No. 3 overall pick in an offer for Davis in the offseason. As ESPN’s Zach Lowe observes in an in-depth breakdown of the Davis situation, the C’s have vowed to be aggressive in their pursuit of AD if he’s still a Pelican in the summer, but there are no indications that they’ve explicitly agreed to include Tatum in their package.

It’s a somewhat unprecedented situation, Lowe writes, since there are few scenarios in NBA history where a CBA quirk has required a potential trade partner to wait several months to actually complete a deal for a star player. If the Celtics tell the Pelicans now that they’d include Tatum, it’s possible circumstances could change by June — perhaps Davis suffers a major injury or Irving decides to leave Boston, and the C’s rethink their willingness to move Tatum.

The uncertainty surrounding Tatum is just one of many factors that complicate the Pelicans’ decision-making process, but his upside arguably exceeds that of any of the players the Lakers have offered New Orleans, Lowe writes. If the Pelicans wait until the offseason to make a Davis deal, Tatum could be on the table, and New Orleans will also have a clearer sense of the Knicks’ draft position, which looms as a major wild card as well. As such, it might make sense for the Pels to remain patient.

Here’s more on the Davis trade saga:

According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, league sources expect negotiations between the Pelicans and Lakers to resume before Thursday’s deadline, since L.A. is running out of time and may not have many more avenues to acquiring a star to pair with LeBron James.
O’Connor also hears from a league source that the wishes of Lonzo Ball and his camp will have no bearing on how the Lakers and Pelicans approach trade negotiations.
Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com (Insider link) makes the case that it wouldn’t be in the Lakers‘ best interests to give up all their best non-LeBron assets for Davis.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores the Lakers‘ fallback options if they don’t trade for Davis this week.