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Anthony Davis

AD Notes: Holiday, Aftermath, Odds, Injury

January 28th, 2019 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Guard Jrue Holiday admits the main reason he re-signed with the Pelicans was the presence of Anthony Davis, Andrew Lopez of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. Holiday signed a five-year, $131.8MM contract in the summer of 2017. “He’s like 90 percent of the reason that I stayed,” Holiday said. “He’s a talent that comes once in a generation. A 7-footer who can do everything at his skill level.” Holiday revealed that Davis notified his teammates over the weekend of his decision to decline a super-max extension with the franchise and request a trade. “He had to what he had to do for his family and what’s best for his career,” Holiday said.

We have more on Davis and the Pelicans:

  • Davis’ decision is a failure at all levels of the franchise, including Davis himself, Scott Kushner of The Baton Rouge Advocate opines. Davis was unable to carry the franchise on his back, while Pelicans management failed to surround him with enough quality pieces. Instead of methodically building a deep roster of young talent through the draft, the Pelicans tried to take a shortcut into contention and that strategy blew up in their faces, Kushner notes. GM Dell Demps traded away his next seven first-round picks after Davis was drafted and that resulted in a shaky foundation, Kushner adds.
  • The Lakers are the favorites to land Davis’ services, Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston relays. Odds posted by B/R Betting have the Celtics as the second choice in the AD sweepstakes, followed by the Knicks, 76ers and Rockets.
  • Davis won’t play against the Rockets on Tuesday, according to Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle. Davis will miss his fifth consecutive game due to a finger injury.
  • Davis’ salary options if he’s dealt are broken down in detail by Danny Leroux of The Athletic. Leroux also examines the logistics of making a swap. Any team other than the Kings, who have ample cap space, would have to send out a minimum of $20.25MM to make a trade happen.
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Lonzo Ball’s Camp Doesn’t Want Him In New Orleans

January 28th, 2019 at 8:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lonzo Ball‘s camp would prefer that the second-year point guard be traded to a third team if talks between the Pelicans and Lakers heat up, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Los Angeles is one of the major players in the quest for Anthony Davis, whose desire to be traded became public on Monday.

Ball’s group would want him to go to a team that doesn’t already have an established point guard, Charania adds. New Orleans has Elfrid Payton and combo guard Jrue Holiday in starting roles.

The thinking among Ball’s people is curious, considering Payton isn’t on any list of elite point guards. The former Magic guard is averaging 9.8 PPG and 5.8 APG in 26.9 MPG.

If a deal was struck between the Pelicans and Lakers, Ball wouldn’t be able to play right away wherever he wound up. Ball suffered a high ankle sprain last week and will be sidelined 4-6 weeks.

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Davis Could Be Fined For Trade Request

January 28th, 2019 at 5:57pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA is taking a dim view of the public declaration by Anthony Davis‘ agent Rich Paul that his client wants to be traded. League spokesman Mike Bass said the NBA has  “commenced an investigation” upon reading reports regarding the Pelicans superstar and that “the process is ongoing,” the New York Times’ Marc Stein tweets.

An on-the-record request for a trade by an agent or a player is punishable and Davis could be fined, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

Paul told Wojnarowski that Davis had no intention of signing a super-max extension with New Orleans this summer and wanted to be dealt to a contender.

“Anthony wants to be traded to a team that allows him a chance to win consistently and compete for a championship,” Paul said. “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.”

There is precedent for league action, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Nate Robinson was fined $25K in 2009 when his agent, Aaron Goodwin, told reporters he asked the Knicks to trade his client. The league says players are responsible for public statements relating to them made by their representatives and that public trade requests are considered detrimental to the league, Zillgitt adds (Twitter links).

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Pelicans Will Deal Davis “On Our Terms”

January 28th, 2019 at 4:20pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pelicans will not be rushed into dealing superstar Anthony Davis. The team released a statement this afternoon, confirming that Davis’ representatives had informed the organization that he wouldn’t sign a contract extension and thus wanted to be dealt.

At least publicly, New Orleans’ front office isn’t going to be pressured into dealing Davis before the February 7th deadline. It will make a trade “on our terms and our timeline,” according to the statement. This confirms the earlier report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the Pelicans don’t want to deal Davis this season.

The statement also declared the franchise “will not be dictated by those outside of our organization.” That could be interpreted as a veiled threat to LeBron James‘ and Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, since the Lakers are considered as the most likely destination. The organization also requested that the NBA strictly enforce its tampering rules prior to any deal.

The full statement reads as follows:

“This past weekend, Anthony Davis’ representatives informed us that Anthony does not wish to sign a contract extension with our team and subsequently has requested a trade. Although we are disappointed in this decision, our organization’s top priority is to bring an NBA championship to our city and fans and build our team for long-term success. Relative to specific talks of a trade, we will do this on our terms and our timeline. One that makes the most sense for our team and it will not be dictated by those outside of our organization. We have also requested the League to strictly enforce the tampering rules associate with this transaction.”

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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.

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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.

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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,”
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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.

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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.

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Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Grizzlies, Walker, Rockets

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.

There’s more from the Southwest division:

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