Anthony Davis has recently declared his desire to be traded by the New Orleans Pelicans in efforts to be transparent with the organization and give them a chance to move him before the Feb. 7 deadline. However, the timing — giving the Pels only 11 days to find a suitable trade before the deadline hits — gives every team but the Boston Celtics a big advantage in acquiring him.
The Celtics cannot acquire Davis while Kyrie Irving is still on the roster, given that both players are under the same contract designation — creating a “Rose Rule” deadlock that would force the Celtics to part ways with Irving before trading for Davis, or be forced to wait until the summer of 2019 to sign Davis as a free agent.
While teams like the Los Angeles Lakers have a huge leg up when it comes to time constrictions, the Celtics have a war chest of assets to offer the Pelicans, and could even “agree to a Davis trade prior to July 1 that isn't finalized until after that date,” according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
This “in good faith” agreement would have the teams agree in a package for Davis — likely before the deadline — and run the permutations through the league office, yet wait until the start of free agency to make it official.
Article Continues BelowOperating under that circumstance would force the Celtics to keep every player and pick involved until the offseason in order to make the trade work.
The scenario is doable, but very unlikely, as a lot can happen between now and July, giving the Pelicans plenty of times to rethink their process and/or seek a better package to measure up to it during that time.
It would be in Davis' best interest to be involved in a trade, as it would allow him to keep his Bird Rights and therefore make a lot more money with the Celtics in the long term.