If Pelicans are ‘Middle-of-the-Pack’ Come the Trade Deadline, Davis Could Go

The New Orleans Pelicans are currently 10-9 and 10th in the Western Conference–a surprisingly low standing considering the leader of their roster is MVP-hopeful Anthony Davis.

This year more than ever, both the Eastern and Western Conferences are anyone’s game. The West is stacked with the up-and-coming Los Angeles Lakers, run-and-gun Trail Blazers, the veteran-led Rockets, and of course the ever-dominant Warriors. Surprisingly, though, none of those teams is currently in the top three of the Western Conference.

Along with teams like the Utah Jazz, the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets, and the Los Angeles Lakers, the Pelicans certainly weren’t expecting to be as far down as they are. Teams like the Clippers, Thunder, Grizzlies, and Nuggets have taken the league by surprise as they’ve surged past the teams that saw them as lesser, and both conferences are a toss-up. But if the Pelicans can’t drastically improve their standing come the trade deadline, they could make a blockbuster move in letting Anthony Davis go.

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Anthony Davis’s Future Depends on Pelicans Record

According to Chris Sheridan of Get More Sports, if the Pelicans are still “middle-of-the-pack” or worse as the league closes in on the trade deadline (February 8, 2019), then Davis is liable to be traded to one of his preferred teams.

Those teams are reportedly the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, or Philadelphia 76ers, though Davis may also choose to simply stay with the Pels. As far as the Boston trade goes, that may be logistically impossible unless the Celtics decide to give up Kyrie Irving (unlikely). Still, though, it’s fun to consider what Davis could look like in a Boston uniform alongside Irving, Hayward, and Tatum.

The Pels shouldn’t have too much trouble improving their record in December–they face the struggling Wizards twice in the next week (along with the Celtics, granted), and then their toughest matchups throughout December will probably be against the Bucks on the 19th and the Rockets on the 29th. Other than that–assuming Davis stays healthy–the Pels shouldn’t have a problem lurching out of that “middle-of-the-pack” zone.

And either way, what’ll happen with Davis is anyone’s guess. He’s stayed pretty mum on the subject, other than to assure Pels fans that he wants to stay with the team. That being said, if a trade doesn’t happen this year, some teams are likely to make big offers for Davis come his free agency in 2020.

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