Anthony Davis will be entering free agency in 2020. Although that is a year away, the New Orleans Pelicans are expected to explore their options given that there’s a chance that the five-time All-Star might opt out of a supermax deal.
This is especially true since Anthony Davis has made it clear that he’s prioritizing his legacy rather than earning more money. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics are two teams that are highly interested in acquiring the talented center. But given that the Celtics still has Kyrie Irving’s contract, their hands are tied at the moment, Express reported.
As such, the Lakers are in a great position to potentially obtain Anthony Davis. But the next question is: who are the Lakers willing to trade for the 25-year-old? Veteran sports journalist Chris Sheridan offered his own trade package for this deal.
Sheridan said that Brandon Ingram, Michael Beasley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and a first-round draft pick could potentially entice the Pelicans to let go of Anthony Davis. But if the previous statements of the Pelicans are anything to go by, the Lakers might find difficulty in convincing the organization.
“If you can trade him for anybody, then he is the most valuable guy in the league. Not that we would ever consider that,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry previously said. “There’s no one in the league that we would trade [Anthony Davis] for, and there’s no one out of the league — not even Beyonce. If we wouldn’t trade him for her, he’s probably untouchable.”
Strong as this statement is, there’s still the reality that the Pelicans are among the worst team in the league today. Right now, the team is 12th on the Western Conference and is holding a 21-23 win-loss record. This is despite the fact that Davis is putting up ridiculous numbers. If the Pelicans can’t do anything about this abysmal performance, they could potentially lose Anthony Davis.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are also in a slump right now after Lebron James suffered a groin injury. Of the 10 games that the roster played without James, the Lakers only won three. Josh Hart has stood out as the player that saw a performance decline after James’ injury, with his struggles expected to continue unless he finds his rhythm again, HoopsHype reported. For his part, Anthony Davis remains mum about the matter and it’s still unclear whether or not he’s going to accept the supermax deal that would land him $240 million.
