Subscribe
Follow Us
Anthony Davis gave the New Orleans Pelicans only two weeks to find a suitable trade for him before the Feb. 7 trade deadline hits after informing the team on Friday of his decision to want to play for a championship contender.
Agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports told Marc Stein of The New York Times that he had not given the franchise a select destination for his client, but the 2020 free agency surely gives Davis plenty of say of where he'd like to end up.
Reading between the lines is important on this one, as such a tight time constraint as two weeks puts the Pelicans organization in a knot of emotions. Giving New Orleans two weeks to trade Davis surely favors the Los Angeles Lakers, who have shown deep interest in “The Brow” and unlike the Boston Celtics, do not have a “Rose Rule” deadlock keeping them from acquiring him in a trade.
Article Continues Below
The Celtics won't be able to acquire Davis until July 1, putting them at a huge disadvantage despite having a regalia of assets to offer for the five-time All-Star forward.
The Lakers are also home to Paul's childhood friend and business partner LeBron James, who previously lobbied for getting Davis and escaped punishment from the NBA by doing so on national television, to the anger of many small-market GMs.
Los Angeles doesn't have the pieces that would entice the Pelicans to trade Davis to them, but they do have time ticking in their favor. If the Lakers did try to make a move for Davis, they would likely have to put a combination of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart on the table.
