Getty New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis
The Los Angeles Lakers appeared to be squarely at the top of the list and leading the way in Anthony Davis trade talks over the recent weeks. And while that was likely true, it doesn’t mean multiple other teams weren’t at least in the mix and having conversations with the New Orleans Pelicans about the star forward.
One team who spoke with the Pelicans about acquiring Davis was the New York Knicks, but the latest rumblings point to them holding back their best offer. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, they talked about including a number of players such as Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr. and multiple draft picks. With that said, Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson were not “fully offered.”
The Knicks discussed several assets in a potential offer — featuring Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith and the No. 3 overall pick and other draft compensation, league sources said — but never fully offered young forward Kevin Knox and prized center Mitchell Robinson, both of whom the franchise is very high on while the Pelicans were not believed to be.
Charania goes on to state that the Knicks’ “best offer never truly came,” while also pointing out that it wouldn’t have mattered. This is surely due to the massive haul the Pelicans received from the Lakers, which featured Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round picks, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.
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Knicks’ Outlook After Anthony Davis Trade
For the Knicks, the plan moving forward is believed to be the same one they’ve had all along. First, they’ll surely target the duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency, and look to potentially bolster their starting five with the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. That selection will likely become former Duke star R.J. Barrett, although that hasn’t been confirmed.
There are some question marks about the team’s plan to make a push for Durant, as his postseason injury with the Golden State Warriors was believed initially have complicated things. Recent rumblings point to the Knicks still having a high interest in KD, but the Warriors could very well opt to make a strong push to re-sign him as well.
Top NBA Free Agent Targets to Monitor
If Durant does indeed choose to leave the Warriors, he instantly becomes one of the top names to watch while being joined by Kawhi Leonard, who may choose to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors. Irving is up there with that duo, followed by Durant’s teammate with the Warriors in Klay Thompson and Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker.
It’s not unrealistic to think four of the five names above (excluding Irving) could re-sign with the teams they played for during the 2018-19 season. Fortunately, there’s quite a bit of talent beyond that list, such as Jimmy Butler, D’Angelo Russell, Tobias Harris and Khris Middleton, each of which will receive big contracts this offseason.
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