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As the 2019 NBA Draft approaches, the chatter involving a potential trade for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis will continue to pick up steam. And while the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are expected to be heavily in the mix, it’s believed that the New York Knicks have an advantage on a trade for Davis, should they opt to make a push.
ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst joined The Stephen A. Smith Show and spoke about a possible trade for Davis, citing the Knicks as the team in “first place.”
“I know that if I make a deal with the Knicks it’s going to be for RJ Barrett. That puts the Knicks in pole position because of the certainty, and because you know that you can bring him in and put him with his buddy Zion [Williamson] right off the bat. The Knicks are in first place to make the trade for Anthony Davis if they want to make that a priority.” Windhorst stated.
These comments are certainly interesting, and they do make a lot of sense. This is a point I touched on recently relating to the Lakers and their push to acquire Davis from the Pelicans. If the option is on the table for the Knicks to land Davis in exchange for Barrett and other assets, that may be tough to turn down, regardless of how much they like another prospect.
Knicks Considering Jarrett Culver Over RJ Barrett in NBA Draft?
When Sean Deveney of Sporting News reported that the Knicks were considering taking Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver over Barrett, it pointed to a potentially huge benefit for the Lakers. While Los Angeles already has a plethora of young prospects to include in a deal for Davis, adding Barrett to allow the Pelicans to pair him with Zion would make any offer far more appealing.
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One big talking point, even aside from the inclusion of Barrett in any deal, is what offer for Davis would be the most appealing to the Pelicans as a whole. Although the team appears intent on holding the star forward currently, something drastic will need to happen eventually, and the belief is that it will likely come in the form of a trade.
Knicks’ Possible Anthony Davis Trade vs. Lakers, Celtics
Although the Knicks do have a number of talented young players to potentially include in a trade, previous rumblings pointed to the Pelicans having interest in Jayson Tatum. This was believed to be part of the reason why New Orleans didn’t accept an offer which came their way from the Lakers prior to the trade deadline.
Would the upside of pairing Barrett with Zion Williamson be enough for the Pelicans to take an offer which may bring less of a return than an offer from the Lakers or Celtics? On one hand, keeping Zion happy and allowing him to build a long-term future playing alongside his former Duke teammate is a huge selling point.
On the other side of that argument, a deal which could include a plethora of first-round picks, Tatum and another player or two, is tough to turn down. And when it comes to the Lakers front, some mixture of Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, the No. 4 pick and other future selections is a massive haul in any trade.
The Pelicans have plenty to figure out in the very near future, and it could result in a blockbuster deal with the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics or possibly a wild card team.
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