NBA Rumors: Celtics Still Pursuing Deal For Anthony Davis
Ever since Anthony Daviss declared in January that he wanted to be traded from New Orleans, the Boston Celtics have been mentioned as a possible destination, mostly because they’re thought to have a large table of assets to offer in a trade.
However, various reports throughout the winter stated that Davis was not interested in going to Boston and that he wouldn’t sign an extension there. Even Davis’ own father went on the record — talking to ESPN in February — to state that he didn’t want his son on the Celtics, mostly because he felt the team was disloyal to former star Isaiah Thomas, who they traded to Cleveland the year before.
With the trade market for Davis ramping up heading into the offseason, the Celtics are once again considered a favorite, even though Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, said in an interview Wednesday that Davis plans on reaching free agency in 2020 in the event of being traded to Boston. But the Celtics, according to a new report, aren’t letting that stop them from pursuing the star.
Per ESPN, the Celtics, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers, are negotiating “complex trade packages” with the Pelicans, centering on Davis. The report did not mention any specific players that Boston would give up as part of the deal but added that Rich Paul has informed the Celtics, both “publicly and privately,” that Davis would not re-sign with the Celtics when he becomes a free agent in a year. Even so, Boston remains “determined” to swing a deal for Davis.
ESPN story on the Celtics and Lakers trade pursuit of New Orleans star Anthony Davis. https://t.co/b9F0ykmSWy
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 12, 2019
The Celtics cannot legally trade for Davis until after June 30, when Kyrie Irving formally becomes a free agent. Irving is expected to leave Boston, although the Celtics, per the ESPN report, hope to trade for Davis and convince Irving to stay along with him.
The report also said that two other teams, the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers, have not yet been able to gain traction in Davis trade talks. David Griffin, the Pelicans’ front office executive, is believed to want to get the deal done prior to next week’s NBA Draft, so that draft picks may be included in offers.
The Lakers, per a Twitter post by Marc Stein of The New York Times, have offered Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and the No. 4 pick for Davis, although the pick could be routed to a third team, with New Orleans acquiring a player from that team.
