The Los Angeles Lakers will quickly have to decide if they're all-in for Anthony Davis going into the summer, as offering the New Orleans Pelicans the same package during the offseason won't force any change of minds. ESPN's Brian Windhorst suggested the purple and gold would need to be active and potentially be willing to flip their undesired assets to another team in return for players the Pelicans would consider trading Davis for.

“The Lakers can steam about this or they can do something about it — by changing what's on the menu.

“If the Lakers don't have what the Pelicans want, then they need to go out and see if they can find what the Pelicans do want and try to bring it to them. This is how transactions at the highest level work in the NBA these days. Getting a player of Davis' quality might take some arbitrage, deals to set up other deals.”

The Houston Rockets have become masters at this, flipping players on a constant basis in hopes to add the right talent. The front office worked tirelessly to evaporate a $14.6 million tax bill coming into the season and putting themselves $637,000 under the cap by the trade deadline, now with two open roster spots to add the right talent in a quest for the playoffs.

The Lakers will need to work arduously hard to make that happen, but they must first have an open conversation with Pelicans general manager Dell Demps to find out which assets he really finds attractive, then trading the rest of them with a potential agreement in place.

This could be a risky proposition, though, since if a different team like the Boston Celtics or the New York Knicks steps up with a more succulent offer, the Pelicans will hold no loyalty to the Lakers, who could wind up with a very different roster and no superstar to make it worth the while.