When Anthony Davis signed on with Klutch Sports last year to be represented by Rich Paul, who is also the agent to LeBron James, there was rampant speculation the talented big man would eventually join the Los Angeles Lakers.
With Davis under contract at least through the 2019-2020 season, most believed the possibility was well down the road. James ignited matters when he openly said he would love to play with Davis as a teammate.
It prompted Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry to deem James guilty of violating the NBA’s tampering guidelines, and also emphatically state the franchise was not in the least bit interested in trading Davis.
That’s since changed in some regard, as the 25-year-old requested a trade and informed the Pelicans he would not sign a contract extension. It opened the door for the Lakers, who have remained engaged with the Pelicans in trade talks.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, that is proving to be a tall order as members of the Pelicans franchise are in favor of keeping Davis beyond Thursday’s trade deadline:
The New Orleans Pelicans are engaging with the Los Angeles Lakers in talks on a trade for All-NBA star Anthony Davis, but president Magic Johnson must still overcome significant support within the Pelicans organization to let Thursday’s deadline expire with Davis remaining on the roster, league sources told ESPN.
After submitting five proposals for the six-time All-Star, none of which were enticing for the Pelicans, the Lakers reportedly increased their offer. It’s grown to include a mixture of two draft picks, young talent and veterans in Lonzo Ball, Michael Beasley, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson.
In addition to including more draft compensation, the Lakers reportedly are willing to take on Solomon Hill to satisfy the Pelicans’ desire for salary relief.
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