Anthony Davis, nicknamed “The Brow,” made major news on Jan. 28 when he requested a trade to “a team that allows him the chance to win consistently and compete for a championship.”
Davis is nothing short of a superstar, being the lynchpin in the Pelican’s organization for years while being a five time all-star. His freak athleticism and incredible height make Davis into a player any franchise can build around.
Teams lined up to court New Orleans before the trade deadline, but the Pelican’s decided to wait on trading Davis. This means that this summer will be all about him. Here are some likely spots for Davis to land this summer.
Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James signed with the Lakers knowing that his presence alone would be able to draw another big-time athlete. This is the player he desperately wants (according to ESPN http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25924855/los-angeles-lakers-offered-improved-anthony-davis-package-new-orleans-pelicans). The Lakers offered Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Ivica Zubac, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and two first-round draft picks, according to CBS Sports (https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/anthony-davis-likes-lakers-final-trade-offer-him-instagram-anyway).
This was the best offer New Orleans received before the trade deadline but they were not interested. I think the reason that New Orleans held off on the Laker’s offer is that they wanted to wait until the summer when they could get offers from not just the lakers.
Boston Celtics
Boston is in a bind when it comes to trading for Davis. They have the most attractive player to give in return, Jayson Tatum. Tatum is developing into a star, along with teammates Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart.
The problem for Boston is that they cannot trade for two players who qualify under the Rose Rule. This rule limits teams to signing one player who has either an MVP selection, Defensive Player of the Year or two All-NBA selections.
Boston already has a player who qualifies: Kyrie Irving. If Boston wanted to acquire Anthony Davis, they would have to trade Irving. With the question of him leaving Boston, a deal could still work out for the Celtics (ESPN, http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=23735887).
A package to New Orleans that could include Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would be desirable. These two players are developing into key assets and having a young core with a potential all-star is not something L.A. could offer.
New York Knicks
New York’s chances of gaining Davis were significantly reduced by the trade of Kristaps Porzingis is trade to Dallas. Kristaps was the Knick’s best asset to trade for Davis, and with him gone the only tantalizing piece they could offer would the the first overall draft pick for this draft. Although the situation could change, the Knicks hold the rights to the first overall draft pick. This is a tempting offer with a high chance of Zion Williamson entering the draft. New York also has plenty of cap space, as well as being a potential landing spot for Kevin Durant. Since stars attract, Davis could potentially be incentivized to want to go to New York if he knew Durant was going to sign a contract there also.
The problem for New York is that the team itself isn’t desirable. Multiple coach firings bring inconsistency to the organization. Not to mention that the organization has also shown poor care for its players, with the Knicks throwing out former star player and fan favorite Charles Oakley from Madison Square Garden mid-game.
