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NBA Trade Rumors: Anthony Davis To Knicks, Kristaps Porzingis And Derrick Rose To Pelicans

By Adrian Lawhorn
Published on: 10:32 PST, Nov 5, 2016

NBA trade rumors are erupting as the New Orleans Pelicans have begun the season 0-6, despite several stellar performances from superstar power forward Anthony Davis. There were already rumors floating around that Davis is going to want out of New Orleans sooner rather than later, but that talk has now intensified according to Yahoo! Sports. That report indicates that Anthony Davis is growing increasingly frustrated with the Pelicans’ losing ways, and wants to be part of a team that has a chance to win.

Another item that the rumor mill has had a strong reaction to is the recent fourth quarter benching of New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis. Gossip is swirling that head coach Jeff Hornacek has lost confidence in Porzingis’ defense, and that this is already affecting his playing time. As a result of this recent scuttlebutt, a report published by Sportsrageous has linked the Knicks and Pelicans to a potential deal involving Anthony Davis and Kristaps Porzingis.

There are two NBA trade rumors currently making the rounds that include New York, New Orleans, Davis, and Porzingis. The first one has Porzingis and point guard Derrick Rose going from the Knicks to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis. The second version of this trade scenario sees Davis and shooting guard Lance Stephenson heading to New York in exchange for a package that includes Porzingis, power forward/center Kyle O’Quinn, small forward Lance Thomas, center Willy Hernangomez, shooting guard Justin Holiday, and three future first-round draft choices.

In examining these two related NBA trade rumors, one thing immediately stands out: one of them is legitimate in terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and one is not. The second trade scenario includes two players who are not currently eligible to be traded. Lance Stephenson will not be trade-eligible until December 15, while Lance Thomas will not be permitted to be part of a transaction with another team before January 15, 2017. Since this rumored trade proposal is not realistic at this time, let’s turn our attention to the first of our NBA trade rumors.

Unlike the wild seven-player, three draft pick deal being discussed in the rumor mill, the alternate trade proposal that would have the Knicks shipping out Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose for Anthony Davis would be a legal transaction, per NBA trade and salary cap restrictions (as verified by the ESPN NBA Trade Machine). Therefore, since this rumored deal could hypothetically take place, we will concentrate on this specific NBA trade rumor and appraise how this potential swap would impact both teams.

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At first glance, this would appear to be a tough offer to accept for the New York Knicks, because the team (and the fan base) is very high on Kristaps Porzingis, the second-year forward from Latvia. Porzingis had a very good rookie season in which he averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocked shots in only 28.4 minutes played per contest. Porzingis seems headed for stardom, with nearly unlimited potential.

However, Anthony Davis is already a proven superstar, and continues to improve every year. Davis is a rare talent and would be well-worth acquiring, even if it means sending out both Porzingis and Derrick Rose. Rose himself is a former NBA MVP who hopes to overcome his injury woes and get back to his NBA All-Star form in New York, but even if Porzingis and Rose both fulfill their potential, this would be a trade the Knicks would have to make if the opportunity was there.

The New Orleans Pelicans are clearly in rebuilding mode, whether they keep Anthony Davis or not. The team’s roster isn’t very good, aside from Davis, and it makes logical sense that management may look to move Anthony Davis for some assets the team can build with — particularly if Davis is unhappy in New Orleans, as multiple reports are stating. Porzingis could grow with the Pelicans and possibly reach NBA All-Star status in the coming years, but he would be a downgrade from Davis in the short-term, and probably in the long-term as well.

Derrick Rose would play a large role for New Orleans initially, since starting point guard Jrue Holiday is away from the team to spend time with his wife, who recently had a brain tumor removed. The Pelicans are hopeful that Holiday will return to the team sometime in November, and once he returns, Rose won’t have as much value to New Orleans. Rose is in the final year of a contract that pays him $21.3 million per year, so he could be a one-year rental that would open up cap space for the team during the summer of 2017.

The viability of this NBA trade rumor comes down to Anthony Davis and whether he is willing to show patience with the Pelicans, or simply wants out of a losing situation as soon as possible. This is a deal that could be in the best interest of both the New York Knicks and New Orleans Pelicans, but realistically, vice president and general manager Dell Demps would not unload Anthony Davis unless he had to.

The latest NBA trade rumors are pointing toward a star-studded deal involving the New York Knicks and New Orleans Pelicans. The Knicks would likely dive right in to this proposed trade for Anthony Davis, while the Pelicans would only accept this offer if Davis made it clear that he is unhappy and wants out of The Big Easy. New Orleans might be able to coax a bigger offer from New York or another team, but ultimately, it is Anthony Davis’ stance that will dictate what happens between the Pelicans and their increasingly-frustrated superstar.

[Featured Image by Brandon Dill/AP Images]

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