Last summer, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics seemed like they were the front-runners to land San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard. Of course, neither team got Leonard, as he was dealt to the Toronto Raptors.
But now, an even bigger fish might surface on the trade market: New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis.
There is speculation that if Davis is traded sometime between now and next season, he will end up with either the Lakers or the Celtics, and a league executive noted the significance of these two teams battling for the superstar, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report:
“It's a renewal of the NBA's great rivalries, just not on the court but behind the scenes,” one executive said.
Both Los Angeles and Boston have the goods to trade for Anthony Davis. The Lakers have young players like Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball. The Celtics have Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams, some other nice pieces and a wealth of draft picks.
Of course, Davis has not publicly given any indication that he wants out of New Orleans, so it is entirely possible that the two sides come to some sort of long-term agreement.
That being said, with the Pelicans struggling to win games, it's looking more and more like Davis will end up playing elsewhere sooner rather than later.
Davis is under team control through 2020, so New Orleans does not have to trade him, but it also has to make sure it doesn't lose him for nothing in free agency.
The Pelicans are unquestionably in a tough spot, and the Lakers and Celtics seem ready to pounce.
Follow Us
Subscribe
