When Anthony Davis requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, he reportedly wasn't opposed to playing for the New York Knicks.
So, why didn't Knicks president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry make a push to acquire Davis? According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Mills and Perry didn't trade for Davis because it would have undercut their long-range plan with the Knicks.
Unlike other major stars recently, Davis had expressed interest in playing for the Knicks. But Mills and Perry told people they were turned off by the Pelicans' high asking price of multiple first-round picks plus multiple young players, even though the Knicks had that type of package thanks to their Porzingis trade. They said it would have undercut their long-range plan of building through the draft and developing picks into stars.
Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he's now thriving with four-time MVP and three-time champion LeBron James.
The Knicks, meanwhile, remain a walking disaster. They watched superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving sign with the other team in New York City, the Brooklyn Nets, this summer and used their cap space on veteran players who don't move the needle.
Davis becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason once he declines his 2020-21 player option with the Lakers. However, the prevailing thought is Davis will re-sign with the Lakers on a long-term deal.
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