The Los Angeles Lakers were the primary suitor for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis before the trade deadline, but now we know about another team involved in the discussions. According to The Athletic's Sam Amick on Locked On NBA, the Denver Nuggets also called about Davis (via Silver Screen and Roll):

“That’s a good observation. I mean, look, to fill in the gaps there, (Denver) had interest and called on AD at the time when he became available. They have an aggressive front office in Tim Connelly, who just got re-upped so now you have stability there. Tim worked in New Orleans and was part of the team that drafted AD back when he first entered the league.

“And they have the mentality, I know, regarding Anthony that even though all the focus has been on L.A., he’s a pretty low-key guy who … really legitimately, genuinely just wants to win and to win it all. So I think the only question there would be that: Is there any way at all that there’s a deal that doesn’t involve (Nikola) Jokic. That’s the one, I just don’t see them coming off of Nikola. But, I think, for sure, the interest is there. That’s something they’ve been kicking around.”

This would have been quite the interesting move. The Nuggets are one of the best teams in the NBA with a 48-22 record, which is good for second in the Western Conference. They have a legitimate star in Nikola Jokic, a budding star in Jamal Murray and a bunch of other quality players, including Gary Harris and Paul Millsap, among others.

Imagine Nikola Jokic paired up with Anthony Davis. That would be an insanely skilled duo in the frontcourt, and Davis would help cover up for Jokic's defensive shortcomings.

The big question here is simple: What exactly would the Nuggets have to give up? The Lakers were apparently ready to offer their entire young core, and more.

Jokic is almost certainly untouchable for Denver, making Murray the prime asset for New Orleans. The Nuggets would have to put much more on the table, though, making key young players like Harris and Malik Beasley attractive options.

While this is a trade that's really fun to think about, clearly nothing came close before the deadline, and it would be surprising to see happen this summer. However, there have been numerous star trades in recent years with outcomes that weren't expected. Perhaps Anthony Davis will be the next star to go somewhere unexpected.