NBA Rumors: Celtics Could Trade Tatum, Hayward, Smart & Draft Picks For Anthony Davis, Per ‘Bleacher Report’
Despite receiving an interesting offer from the Los Angeles Lakers, the New Orleans Pelicans decided to wait for the 2019 NBA offseason to move All-Star Anthony Davis so NBA teams like the Boston Celtics could join the bidding. The Celtics were unable to place an offer for Davis before the February NBA trade deadline since according to league rules, a team is only allowed to have one player on their roster who is signed under the Derrick Rose Rule.
Now that Anthony Davis is still available on the trade market, Celtics President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Danny Ainge is expected to do everything he can to bring “The Brow” to Boston next summer. As everyone knows, the Celtics are one of the few teams in the league who have better trade assets than the Lakers. In a proposed trade deal by Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, the Celtics could send a trade package including Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, Marcus Smart, and future first-round picks to the Pelicans in exchange for Davis.
When Anthony Davis demanded a trade, most people believe that the Pelicans are headed into an inevitable rebuild. However, acquiring the likes of Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, and Marcus Smart in potential Davis deal will help the Pelicans remain competitive in the Western Conference in the next couple of years. Tatum proved to be the most interesting acquisition for the Pelicans, giving them the next face of the franchise in the post-Davis era.
“The 21-year-old looks like an All-Star in training, his potential best captured in last year’s Kyrie Irving-less breakout, when Tatum grabbed the offensive reins and delivered 18.5 points on 47.5 percent shooting. Tatum might not be meeting the most optimistic expectations for his sophomore season, but he has elevated his counting categories across the board. If the Celtics are willing to move Tatum, they’d probably give the Pelicans relatively free rein to pick their favorites from Boston’s mountain of assets.”
Excited for another year of my hometown Youth ? @ProCamps back where it all started in STL! Click the ? below for details and to sign up. See you there! https://t.co/i6J0xF1XUJ
— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) March 21, 2019
Trading Jayson Tatum is undeniably a tough decision for the Celtics, but it will definitely be worth it if it means acquiring a player of Anthony Davis’ caliber. Davis will tremendously improve the Celtics’ performance on both ends of the floor, giving them an All-Star big man who can efficiently knock down shots from beyond the arc. This season, the 26-year-old center/power forward is averaging 26.2 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.6 steals on 51.8 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from the three-point range.
Aside from what he can contribute for the Celtics on the court, the successful acquisition of Anthony Davis could also give Boston a higher chance of re-signing Kyrie Irving in the 2019 NBA free agency.
