With the 2019 NBA Draft near, Anthony Davis’ future with the New Orleans Pelicans has dominated the headlines.
Since Davis met with executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin in Los Angeles, the Pelicans have finally begun listening to trade offers for him.
While Davis initially had four potential trade destinations on Jan. 28, he has narrowed it down to the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks as teams he would re-sign with.
However, some within the Knicks reportedly are ‘uncomfortable’ with trading multiple assets for the 26-year-old, according to Ian Begley of SportsNet New York:
The Pelicans, according to an ESPN report, weren’t enamored by any offer the Knicks or any other suitors had made for Davis. So the Knicks had engaged in some dialogue with teams in an effort to improve their offer for Davis, per SNY sources. It’s unclear how far along — if at all — any of that dialogue was, but some people in the organization were uncomfortable with the idea of trading away significant assets for Davis, citing the way things played out for New York in the wake of the Carmelo Anthony trade, per SNY sources.
As for the Lakers, it appears they are making some progress on a potential multi-team deal, according to Begley:
ESPN reported on Tuesday that the Lakers are the “leader in the clubhouse” for a potential Davis trade. One league source said Tuesday that Los Angeles had made progress towards completing a multi-team deal.
Based on the latest developments, the Lakers are in a good position to trade for Davis nearly five months later. As multi-team trades are extremely difficult to complete, it will be interesting to see what other teams are involved.
If it is truly a two-team race between the Lakers and Knicks, Los Angeles can put together a ‘pretty attractive’ offer compared to New York — which has been up for debate.
Although the Pelicans may not have a timetable regarding a Davis trade, it would benefit them to make one before June 20. With a week remaining, Griffin should be motivated to work out potential players with their additional draft picks.
