There are only five games available to FanDuel players Thursday (Denver vs. Indiana in London is off the board), and immediately the status of the most expensive available player is what jumps out. New Orleans forward Anthony Davis, who has a cap value of $11,800 and is averaging 52.2 FanDuel points per game, hurt his left hip in Monday's win over the New York Knicks. Fouled hard by Kyle O'Quinn early in the fourth quarter, Davis tumbled into the stands and ultimately did not return to a game the Pelicans led by a comfortable margin. The good news for Davis and the Pelicans is that the X-rays came back negative, and he's listed as questionable for Thursday's game against Brooklyn.
The question: do you assume that Davis will play and build your FanDuel roster around him? Or do you look in another direction, with Golden State's Kevin Durant ($10,300) and Stephen Curry ($9,000) available as is San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard ($8,700)? Thursday shapes up as a night where, even with Davis' numbers this season, the better play would be to spread the salary cap money more equitably. There are some good matchups to be found, especially those involving poor defensive teams as Brooklyn (New Orleans), New York (Chicago) and Phoenix (Dallas) are all in action Thursday night.
Here are our FanDuel picks for Thursday, using the rules of a nine-player roster with a $60,000 salary cap. Stats used are from Basketball Reference and Rotowire. (Getty)
Will Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant both join the Los Angeles Lakers?
As reported since the fall, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to partner LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant.
I stand by that, for now.
Durant, a two-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, is highly considering joining the Los Angeles Lakers in the summer of 2019, I was told by a league source in September.
Some believe that KD may think differently after an interview with Bleacher Report where KD labeled playing with LeBron James as toxic and admitted that the attention LeBron James receives isn’t his fault.
Former Laker, Sam Perkins thinks Davis will be a Laker. He also thinks Kevin Durant will stay put with the Golden State Warriors.
Kevin Durant does NOT join Lakers. Anthony Davis DOES join Lakers, former Laker Sam Perkins tells me.
“So much hype comes from being around LeBron from other people,” said Durant.
“He has so many fanboys in the media. Even the beat writers just fawn over him. I’m like, we’re playing basketball here, and it’s not even about basketball at certain points. So I get why anyone wouldn’t want to be in that environment because it’s toxic. Especially when the attention is bullshit attention, fluff. It’s not LeBron’s fault at all; it’s just the fact you have so many groupies in the media that love to hang on every word. Just get out of the way and let us play basketball.”
While KD is a Warrior and I believe he is strongly considering the Lakers, I’d be naive to not acknowledge the New York Knicks.
“The Knicks are quietly, I believe, becoming attractive,” FS1’s Jason McIntyre told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast earlier this year.
“The Knicks. Now listen, Zion’s going to be attractive to people. Again, I don’t think he’s going to be like the best player in the league right out the gate, right? He’s going to sell a lot of tickets, he’s unselfish, I actually think R.J. Barrett will be the number one pick, I think he’s a more complete offensive player. I don’t think Zion could be a number one in the NBA on a championship contender. I like Zion a lot, but I do wonder, are the Knicks attractive?”
Remember this name: Royal Ivey.
A Knicks assistant coach under head coach, David Fizdale, Ivey, a Harlem native is quite close to Durant. The two were Texas Longhorns teammates and teammates with the Oklahoma City Thunder for three years.
KD is the godfather of Ivey’s daughter, Lyric Ella and a league source shared with me that Durant will be in Ivey’s wedding this summer.
Ivey has spent the past two seasons working as an assistant for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He had received interest from other teams as well, including the Philadelphia 76ers.
But he chose the New York Knicks. That could mean nothing or it could just be an advantage that the Knicks do have.
What a good advantage to have, too!
I discussed it on I discussed it on last month’s episode of The Dime NBA Podcast with Josh Rodriguez.
NEW EPISODE!
* A look back at @Josh_Rodriguez_ Pre Season Predictions
* Interview with NBA Insider @ScoopB
Apple Podcasts: t.co/93yYSEHHyi
Spotify: t.co/bzv0cLHcvz
Listen. Rate. Subscribe.
“I think it’s important to understand that people say a lot of things,” Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus tells Scoop B Radio.
“Again, these are not depositions. These are not items where if you prove that they contradict themselves, that they’re going to be charged with perjury. It’s just not how it works and he said some things about LeBron, he’s specifically criticized in the media environment around LeBron, calling it toxic, but he didn’t call LeBron toxic, he didn’t say that, you know, LeBron was a bad person, the two of them worked it out and they hashed it out.”
“Speaks for the state of the business,” NBA insider Chris Sheridan told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“There’s a lot of aggregation out there. The way these blogs write their headlines is so that people are going to click on it.”
The Lakers will enter the 2019 free agency period with a ton of roster spots to fill.
Durant signed a two-year, $61.5 million contract with the Warriors and has the option to opt out ahead of the 2019-20 season, per Spotrac.
“LeBron is here for a lot of the same reasons,” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne said in the fall.
“This is a LA operation. If you want to expand into entertainment, this is where you do it. You don’t necessarily go to New York.”
If Durant were to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers next offseason, it would leave them with a minimum of two years to play together.
The Lakers purposely filled their roster with one-year contracts to maintain their salary cap flexibility for the summer of 2019 where several NBA superstars like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, DeMarcus Cousins, and DeAndre Jordan are expected to become unrestricted free agents.
Anthony Davis can become a free agent in the summer of 2020 OR be traded to the Lakers this offseason.
GettyJayson Tatum could be the one player that prevents Anthony Davis from being traded to the Lakers.
Anthony Davis joining the Los Angeles Lakers could still happen.
Speaking with a league source with direct ties to the New Orleans Pelicans front office yesterday afternoon, I’m told that the New Orleans Pelicans are still interested in a Lakers offer.
Per a Pelicans source who spoke on the condition of anonymity via text message:
“Internally, Pels are still interested in Lakers offer. But would love for Lonzo [Ball] to be a part of it. They feel he could thrive alongside [Jrue] Holiday. Fine with Kuzma/Ingram and think they could win with that roster next year.”
The Lakers and the Pelicans struck out at the NBA trading deadline on February 7th.
“Anthony Davis is not getting traded this season,” FS1’s Chris Broussard told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast prior to the NBA trading deadline and he was right.
“There’s no reason for New Orleans to trade him. Why in the world would you, you know? He’s now a free agent this summer coming up, you’re going to try your best to make the playoffs and they’re going to be trying to make a move at the deadline that could make them better and make Anthony want to stay.”
The Lakers and the Pelicans struck out at the NBA trading deadline on February 7th. Per league sources, below was what the Pelicans wanted in the trade and the Lakers declined.
As for Anthony Davis:
Demps told Magic this is what he wanted:
✅Lonzo
✅Kuzma
✅Ingram
✅Zubac
✅Hart
✅KCP
✅2019 unprotected FRP
✅2020 FRP swap
✅2021 unprotected FRP
✅2022 FRP swap
✅2023 unprotected FRP
✅2019 and 2021 2nd round picks
Lakers said: 👎🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽✌🏽
The Denver Nuggets I’m told also reached out to the Pelicans before the NBA trading deadline and offered a solid package including Michael Porter Jr. for Anthony Davis, the superstar who is looking to find a way out.
We can assume that the Pelicans elected to decline the trade as they have proved (with their discussions with the Lakers) that they are looking for a ton in return. Don’t get it wrong, a package of Gary Harris, Michael Porter Jr., and multiple first round picks is quite hefty.
But, the Pelicans were looking more for early 1st round picks instead of late ones which is what Denver was offering.
That’s given how great of a season they are currently having and will most likely be having for the foreseeable future.
The New York Knicks also approached the Pelicans about Davis in a deal without including Kristaps Porzingis prior to Porzingis being shipped to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Boston Celtics are also a team that could still get Davis, this off season, I was told this week.
“Celtics have to include Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart,” a source who is in direct contact with the New Orleans Pelicans front office told me via text message.
“Obviously, the next GM will have the most say in that.”
Once Kyrie Irving opts out of the final year of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent, the Celtics will officially be allowed to execute a trade for Davis
Davis has been the intrigue of Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge for years.
“Now Anthony Davis, Danny Ainge’s been wanting to get this guy since he was at Kentucky,” NBA insider Chris Sheridan told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“And we have to remember Danny has four-1st round draft picks coming up. He has players that can’t even get into the line up. He’s also got contracts he can move like Gordon Hayward. The question is can Kyrie [Irving] last in Boston because Tony Rozier can probably take his spot.”