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Just days away from the NBA Trade Deadline, the buzz surrounding what will happen with Anthony Davis continues be the top story of the league. The latest, which surfaced Monday afternoon, is that Davis has provided the New Orleans Pelicans with a list of four teams he would consider signing a long-term deal with. Those teams are the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, and Milwaukee Bucks.
It is no secret that a trade sending him to the Lakers would be ideal in the eyes of A.D., but reluctance on the part of New Orleans has yet to make this happen. The Pelicans' general manager, Dell Demps has yet to resign from his stance of preferring to wait until the offseason to trade Davis unless confronted by an offer that blows him away.
However, with the list the All-Star big man gave New Orleans, it looks like he could be subtly forcing his way to the West Coast in an ultimate chess move.
Just as important as the names on the list are the names missing, specifically the Boston Celtics. Danny Ainge and the Celtics have remained the primary reason for the Pelicans to refrain from making a hasty deal before the deadline. It has been expected that once the offseason has rolled around that Boston would be able to throw the Pelicans their best offer, which would be headlined by Jayson Tatum and some package of potentially very valuable draft picks.
Davis’ dismissal of Boston’s acquisition of him being anything other than a one-year rental could change that, though. If the Celtics truly feel that they might not be able to convince Davis to stick around rather than bolt out the door during free agency in 2020, they may not be willing to part with Tatum or all of their assets.
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Three out of four names on his list of preferred destinations are facing a different issue. Even though Anthony Davis has expressed an interest in committing to those franchises, the Bucks, Clippers, nor Knicks could curate a package that would be more valuable to New Orleans that what the Lakers can send out.
The Bucks and Clippers have many talented role players, but most are already towards their prime and soon-to-be free agents as well. Both of those franchises are currently without many of their future picks moving forward, which only makes building an enticing trade package for the Pelicans that much tougher.
New York seemed to be the closest competition for the Lakers outside of Boston, but it was revealed recently that New Orleans had made it known that a package featuring Porzingis wasn’t going to get a deal done for Davis. With Porzingis now a member of the Dallas Mavericks, the Knicks are fully focused on making the most of their cap space in free agency.
The only way they could find themselves back in trade talks with New Orleans would be if they luck out and land the first overall pick in the 2019 draft, and the Pelicans are willing to take back that in addition to young players like Kevin Knox, Mitchell Robinson, and Dennis Smith Jr.
Anthony Davis has already found himself the recipient of a $50,000 slap on the wrist courtesy of the NBA as a result of his agent, Rich Paul, making his desire for a trade known publicly. He has to be careful with how he proceeds moving forward, though it looks like he has his sights set on finding a way to get a deal done fast and getting back on the court playing for a new team.
His list of preferred teams definitely looks like an attempt to manufacture the Lakers’ potential trade offer of all their young pieces into being the most valuable offer on the table for Dell Demps. If it works, and Davis is suiting up in purple and gold before the trade deadline, then it would prove to be quite the chess move.
