Subscribe
Follow Us
If the New Orleans Pelicans decide to trade superstar Anthony Davis before next season, the word on the street is that he will end up with either the Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.
Per Pincus:
If Davis indicates that he won't extend, the Pelicans may find a trade is the only answer, lest they lose one of the league's elite players without any compensation. The buzz in Las Vegas, where most of the league's executives gathered over the past few days for the NBA G League Winter Showcase, is that Davis will end up with either the Boston Celtics or Lakers before the 2019-20 season.
It makes sense, as both teams have the assets to acquire Davis, and both franchises also possess environments that Davis would likely be amenable to.
The Lakers are in Hollywood, and LeBron James is there. A duo of Davis and James would be an absolute nightmare for the rest of the league, and Davis would be able to add his name to the ever-growing list of great Lakers big men.
Boston doesn't exactly possess the night life of Los Angeles, but the Celtics have more championships than any other team in the NBA and have a nucleus in place that should be able to contend for the foreseeable future.
The question is, what will either side be willing to surrender for Davis?
The Lakers have Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball as their main trade pieces, and the Celtics have Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams and a bunch of draft picks.
Celtics president Danny Ainge is notoriously protective over his assets, and the Lakers don't exactly have the depth to gut their roster.
Los Angeles also needs to keep in mind that James is 34 years old, so being able to keep at least some of their young talent to pair with Davis once James retires should be involved in the decision-making process.
Or, Davis could just re-sign with New Orleans, and all of this will be moot.
