The Anthony Davis situation continues to develop.
Last week,
The Athletic reported in
the Inside Pass that New Orleans Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin had begun listening to trade calls on Davis. Griffin, Davis and Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, met in Los Angeles on May 29 and Davis’ trade stance has remained unchanged.
Several teams have expressed interest in Davis, including the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics, league sources told
The Athletic. Davis submitted a four-team preferred destinations list to the Pelicans in February, featuring the Lakers, Knicks, Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks, but it is believed that list has been narrowed in focus.
Davis is now focused on the Lakers and Knicks as the two desired long-term destinations, league sources told
The Athletic. Davis has not given Griffin or the Pelicans a new formal list. He will be a free agent in 2020.
How could that impact teams such as the Celtics or Nets who are interested in Davis? It is unquestioned that a trade for either organization would provide a gamble for either Boston president Danny Ainge or Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks.
Several teams — including the Celtics — are aggressive about pursuing Davis understanding they would potentially lose him after one season, when he is set to become a free agent. The Celtics want to pursue Davis and believe in their roster with or without Kyrie Irving, league sources said. For Griffin and the Pelicans, the market for Davis could open even more after free agency begins, when the teams pursuing top free agents miss out on their targets.
Griffin has provided interested teams with a template for a deal, and he and his front office will pull the trigger only when a suitable deal emerges.
In LA, the Lakers have LeBron James and would provide an opportunity for Davis to be the face of the franchise in his prime. In New York, Davis would serve as the face of the Knicks and be the player version of a North Star — being the centerpiece of attracting other talent to Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks, owners of the No. 3 pick in the draft, have been motivated to pursue Davis sooner rather than later. The Lakers still have their young core of players intact, such as Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart, and the No. 4 pick. There is intrigue to see how the Lakers handle these trade talks, after providing less-than-appealing offers to the Pelicans during the trade deadline in February. For the Knicks, securing Davis would be a step to try to begin attracting talent around Davis with a significant upcoming free-agent crop in Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving.
Teams around the league expect Griffin to take a mindful and open approach to talks surrounding Davis leading up to the June 20 NBA draft. Davis, 26, is one of the NBA’s best players.
(Top photo: Michael J. LeBrecht II/NBAE via Getty Images)