Getty Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis
The Anthony Davis to Los Angeles hype train is hitting another gear. Rich Paul, agent to both the Pelicans star and LeBron James, told Sports Illustrated that there will be no contract extension in New Orleans no matter what. The Klutch Sports rep also stated that the plan is for Davis to enter free agency in 2020.
“Where he’s going to land? I have no idea,” Paul said to S.L. Price. “And it don’t matter. We’re going into free agency. Why does it matter to me where he goes? Earth: We’re going into free agency. He has a year, he has to play. But after that, I can’t say it no bigger: WE ARE GOING INTO FREE AGENCY. 2020: ANTHONY DAVIS WILL BE IN FREE AGENCY.”
Rich Paul sees the Lakers as an ideal fit for Anthony Davis, with or without LeBron: t.co/mTX6Yu7QQg
Paul has made no secret of his desire to team up his clients in purple and gold, going as far to declare in the article, “What better place to do it than L.A.?” The fact that he is trying to bar a contract extension is also advantageous for Los Angeles.
One, it keeps Davis from sticking around in New Orleans. Two, an extension would assuredly be a max deal at 5 years, $240 million. Paul is trying to help James limit the amount of cap space Los Angeles would allocate in a trade for Davis, thus allowing transactions for other role players potentially surrounding the two stars.
In addition, Paul does not seem to mind ruffling the league’s feathers to bar New Orleans from ruining this teamup between Davis and James. He received a $50,000 fine in late January when he publicly suggested the trade to the Lakers, which was seen as tampering.
Anthony Davis to Los Angeles Pending, Lonzo Ball Trade Rumors
Our own Anthony Koon relayed the reports that Lonzo Ball could be a part of a massive trade deal that could see Davis end up in Los Angeles. First, he mentions that the Wizards are trying to dump Bradley Beal’s contract, which New Orleans is interested in picking up should Davis bolt.
Next, he mentions that Ball could end up in Phoenix, creating cap space room for Davis.
OnSMASH reports that a fourth team could be entering the mix and that the Suns may be the eventual landing spot for Lonzo Ball. The Suns have been desperate for a defensive-minded point guard to put next to Devin Booker and Lonzo fits that mold perfectly. With a number of assets and heaps of cap flexibility, the Suns could be a home for bad contracts and cap clearing in exchange for a promising young asset like Lonzo in a multi-team deal.
Per Paul, there are still possibilities that Davis ends up in either Boston or with the Knicks. For the former, there are complex contract restrictions with the rest of the Celtics roster, plus the fact that Davis’ father doesn’t want his son in New England.
For the Knicks, he prefers Los Angeles due to their championship pedigree.
“The only difference is, they don’t have as many championships as the Lakers,” Paul says. “They got a tradition. It’s a big market—not that it’s only big markets. They have cap space, flexibility, they’re able to absorb more than one star. What’s wrong with that?”
Right now, especially with the Kevin Durant injury situation, New York may not be able to bring in as many superstars as previously rumored. Paul insinuates that this has opened the door for Davis to the Lakers.