NBA Trade Talk: Anthony Davis To Lakers Has Been In Works ‘For Years,’ But Celtics Have More To Offer
The never-ending saga that is the possible Anthony Davis trade continues to heat up with each passing week, but is there ever going to be anything to it?
The New Orleans Pelicans are up and down this season due to not being able to stay healthy, and that always helps to contribute to trade rumors. Apparently, a trade proposed by the Los Angeles Lakers has been in the works for years, but the Boston Celtics aren’t out of the running either.
For a couple of years now, there has been so much discussion as to where Anthony Davis will end up when he becomes a free agent. The Pelicans will offer him a maximum contract in order to entice him to stay in New Orleans, but they’re going to have to build a strong team around him first.
This season, the Pelicans have done well with the additions of Elfrid Payton and Julius Randle, but injuries are plaguing their roster. With the injury bug going around and keeping them in the middle of the Western Conference race, teams may not have to wait until free agency to land Davis.
Of course, one of the teams that is always involved in the trade talks for Anthony Davis is the Los Angeles Lakers. Basketball pundit Chris Sheridan stated, via Twitter, that New Orleans needs to make a stronger roster around Davis, but also that a trade for Davis has been in the works for a very long time.
I am told that @AntDavis23 to the @Lakers has been in the works for years. That does not mean it is a certainty, because @Celtics can give up much, much more … and it all depends on whether the @PelicansNBA are able to beef up their roster between now and February. https://t.co/nvhGKp52CS
— Chris Sheridan (@sheridanhoops) November 26, 2018
The Express reports that Anthony Davis may try to force New Orleans to trade him away if he finds himself unhappy with how the team is doing as the season progresses. If things aren’t working out — and the Pelicans aren’t in the playoff race by the trade deadline in February — he may play his hand in terms of getting moved elsewhere.
Along with the Lakers, there are three other teams being mentioned in trade rumors involving Davis. The New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers are interested in landing the future legend, but the Boston Celtics are also involved in those discussions as well.
So, about those Anthony Davis rumors…
The Celtics reportedly are one of five teams on the Pelicans star's shortlist: https://t.co/igDHjrs6KA pic.twitter.com/OnzLIPZyoj
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) November 23, 2018
According to NBC Sports, the Celtics are “very much in play” as a landing spot for Anthony Davis if a trade is to happen this season. The main reason that Boston jumps ahead of the Lakers in trade talks is that they have more assets to trade away to the Pelicans in a hypothetical exchange.
Chris Mannix of NBC Sports says that “Anthony Davis is going to require the biggest package of players in NBA history” when it comes to a trade with any team. If a trade doesn’t happen — and Davis stays with the New Orleans Pelicans until he becomes a free agent — he would need to turn down a $230 million maximum deal to go elsewhere. The Lakers and Celtics are going to keep fighting for him, along with other teams — but if the Pelicans can win, their positioning may be for naught.
