NBA Rumors: Pelicans Coach Alvin Gentry ‘Loves’ To Pair Zion Williamson With Lakers’ Ball, Ingram, And Kuzma
The departure of All-Star center Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans is inevitable, especially after he informed them through his agent Rich Paul that he has no intention of signing the contract extension that they are planning to offer next summer and wants to be traded to a team where he can consistently win and contend for the NBA championship title. Despite failing to secure a deal before the February NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers are still expected to resume their pursuit of Davis in the 2019 NBA offseason.
After the controversy surrounding their previous trade negotiation, most people have a doubt if the Lakers still have a realistic chance of acquiring Anthony Davis from the Pelicans next summer. However, the Lakers found a glimpse of hope when the Pelicans fired Dell Demps as general manager and hired David Griffin as their vice president of basketball operations. Also, according to WDSU, Pelicans owner Gayle Benson has recently denied the report that they are not willing to engage in a trade deal with the Purple and Gold.
It is definitely a wise decision for Pelicans owner Gayle Genson to continue their trade talks with the Lakers. The Lakers have an interesting collection of trade assets that could help the Pelicans speed up the rebuilding process in the post-Anthony Davis era. The 2018-19 NBA season is still far from being over, but some people in the Pelicans’ organization are already expressing interest in the potential assets that they could acquire from the Lakers in exchange for Davis.
In a recent appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, which is currently posted on Twitter, Chris Broussard of Fox Sports revealed that Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry “loves the idea” of pairing Jrue Holiday and Zion Williamson, whom they are expected to select using the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, with the Lakers’ young core of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma.
“Alvin Gentry likes the Lakers players. He loves the idea of Lonzo Ball, Jrue Holiday, Zion, Kyle Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram offensively and defensively.”
Inside the night Alvin Gentry and the Pelicans won the Zion Williamson sweepstakes.
From @VinceGoodwill ?? https://t.co/bvYmQP5tw3 pic.twitter.com/4dUbc2dyvS
— Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) May 15, 2019
It’s definitely not a surprise why Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry is intrigued by the idea of having Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Brandon Ingram in New Orleans. Ball, Kuzma, and Ingram may have failed to help the Lakers’ end their playoff drought this season, but all the three of them are in no doubt taking the right path to stardom. If they continue developing their game and build good chemistry with Zion Williamson, the Pelicans have a strong chance of becoming a legitimate title contender in the deep Western Conference.
As of now, it remains unknown if Coach Alvin Gentry can influence the Pelicans’ decision regarding Anthony Davis next summer. Expect more rumors to circulate as the 2019 NBA offseason draws closer.
