Barring some unforeseen circumstances, New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis will begin the 2019-20 campaign with a different team.
However, whoever he gets traded to may have to wait to sign him to a long-term deal, as Marc Stein of The New York Times reports that Davis would prefer to become a free agent in 2020 regardless of who acquires him.
There are four teams that are currently considered to be potential trade destinations for Davis: the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks.
Rumor has it that Davis does not want to sign a long-term deal with the Celtics, but that will not stop Boston from pursuing a trade for him this summer, and the Pelicans seem to prefer the Celtics' assets to anyone else's.
The Lakers have been desperately trying to land Davis before the Thursday trade deadline, reportedly making a godfather offer to New Orleans that included Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Ivica Zubac, Josh Hart, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and multiple draft picks, but they were rebuffed, with recent reports stating that they are losing hope for a Davis trade.
The Clippers traded Tobias Harris to the Philadelphia 76ers for a pair of draft picks on Tuesday night, adding more pieces to their stable of assets in a potential deal for Davis.
As for the Knicks? Well, they dealt their top established piece in Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks last week, but there is a chance New York could earn the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, which may serve as a game-changer in trade talks.
Whatever the case, it doesn't seem like Davis is willing to sign any extensions.
