The race for New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis might have to wait until the offseason, but even then, a former NBA executive thinks the Los Angeles Lakers would only be third in the sweepstakes, despite boasting the player that publicly stated his eagerness to play with him, LeBron James, and his agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.
The Lakers might need a push from Paul if they hopes to stand better chances than other competitors.
“I'd say if the [Philadelphia 76ers offer Ben] Simmons, or with the [Boston] Celtics' package of picks and young players, the Lakers would probably be third,” the former executive told Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report. “One would think that [Pelicans general manager] Dell [Demps] would want a deal done around the draft [with Boston's picks].”
What might turn the tide in favor of the Celtics is throwing in Jayson Tatum, a player that can easily surge into a 20-point scorer if given the freedom to take the lead.
“After Simmons, I love Tatum. He'd have to be the deal-maker in the Anthony Davis sweepstakes,” the former exec continued. “If he's in the package, AD to the Celtics. To each his own in the NBA, and certainly others would value differently, but on average, based upon body of work, I think the 30 teams would value Philadelphia/Boston talent over the Lakers.”
The Lakers have the biggest attraction in terms of the glamour and the best player in the world still on the roster for three more seasons, but that is of little importance in a trade situation, where Pelicans GM Dell Demps will be forced to look out for the best talent package he could muster in return for Davis.
Los Angeles simply doesn't have enough enticing assets to garner a star of Davis' caliber.
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