Getty Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans looks on during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Although talks have been brewing for months surrounding an Anthony Davis trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans, the Pelicans seem to have no intention of dealing with the Lakers. After the Lakers aggressively went after Davis at the trade deadline and struck out, it seemed their luck had run out and they would simply be outbid by the Celtics in the offseason.
However, after an unlikely rise in the NBA draft lottery, the Lakers now hold a much more powerful bargaining chip and looked to hopefully insert themselves back as the leaders in the Anthony Davis sweepstakes.
New Orleans Pelicans Hesitant to Trade Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers
Pelicans are still not interested in trading AD to the Lakers, even after LA landed the No. 4 pick, per @WindhorstESPN
Unfortunately for the Lakers, it seems the Pelicans still have no intentions on moving Davis to Los Angeles. With plenty of other suitors interested in the elite big man’s services, the Pelicans shouldn’t be short on offers. While few teams, save for the Celtics, can offer something on par with the Lakers, it seems the Pelicans may have already made up their mind.
What is the Price to Move for Anthony Davis?
The Lakers denied the rumors but reportedly put their entire young core on the line for the Pelicans, who felt it wasn’t enough. The Pelicans are looking for a combination of young cost-controlled assets, salary cap relief, and draft picks. For the most part, the Lakers are really only able to offer two of those three as they don’t have the pieces in place to match any of the Pelican’s mediocre contracts.
Compare that to the Celtics who, if Kyrie Irving opts out, will have the necessary cap flexibility to deal for Davis and send over enough pick to compensate for not taking on another one of their contracts. Loaded with future first round picks, the Celtics can outbid almost any team when it comes to throwing around draft picks.
Especially given the way negotiations went this season with Davis seemingly trying to strong-arm his way out west, the Pelicans don’t seem to believe the Lakers will operate under good faith and instead may simply be looking in a different direction altogether. If that is the case, it would take an otherworldly offer for the Lakers to get back into the Pelicans’ good graces and one that might simply be impossible to make.