Big news came down the NBA pike on Monday morning. Anthony Davis and his agent, Rich Paul, informed the New Orleans Pelicans that he would like to be traded.
Most teams would take a player of Davis' caliber in a heartbeat, but the Pelicans seem to be interested in dealing with the Boston Celtics, according to a report from Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated.
Why the Celtics, you ask? The answer is quite simple. Boston has a plethora of draft picks at their disposal — a fact that teams all around the NBA have known for quite a while.
The Pelicans are hoping to discuss the frameworks of an offseason trade with the Celtics, according to Fischer.
But New Orleans dealing Anthony Davis before the trade deadline is far from guaranteed. Pels are fully aware Boston harbors greatest stock of assets and are hoping Celtics call to discuss frameworks of potential offseason trades with which NOLA can compare incoming rivals offers.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) January 28, 2019
Most teams would be more than happy to have a player of Davis's caliber on their roster, as he continues to be one of the most athletic big men in today's game.
In 41 appearances with the Pelicans this season (all starts), Davis has racked up averages of 29.3 points on 50.8 percent shooting from the field (32.5 percent from beyond the arc), 13.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.6 blocks and 1.7 steals in 37.0 minutes per outing.
Paul, who also represents LeBron James, laid out the details of Davis' mindset in an interview with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
“Anthony wants to be traded to a team that allows him a chance to win consistently and compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN. “Anthony wanted to be honest and clear with his intentions and that's the reason for informing them of this decision now. That's in the best interests of both Anthony's and the organization's future.”
Whether or not the Celtics will be able to strike a deal with the Pelicans remains to be seen, but it sounds like they'll have a good shot at it. There is a bit of a hang-up, as Wojnarowski notes in his recent article.
Boston cannot trade for Davis until July 1 because league rules wouldn't allow Kyrie Irving's and Davis' contracts under the designated rookie exception on the roster together. The designated rookie exception allows players coming off their rookie-scale contracts to earn 30 percent of the salary cap rather than 25 percent if they meet certain criteria.
Irving becomes a free agent on July 1. Boston could agree to a Davis trade before July 1 that isn't finalized until after that date.
The clock is ticking. Let's see if the Celtics decided to make a move.
