As the New Orleans Pelicans are currently listening to trade offers for Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers are trying to land him now after their failed Feb. 7 attempt.
Nearly five months since those initial trade discussions, both the Lakers and Pelicans have undergone changes in the front office and benefited from the 2019 NBA Draft.
While it was unclear if the Pelicans would be willing to negotiate with the Lakers, it appears they are looking to make the best possible trade regardless of the past.
Although the Boston Celtics were informed Davis would not re-sign with them and would be a one-year rental, they are also currently engaged in trade discussions with the Pelicans, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are engaged in trade talks with the New Orleans Pelicans on All-NBA star Anthony Davis, league sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Zach Lowe, Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst on Wednesday. The Lakers’ No. 4 pick has been discussed as a trade chip to help the Pelicans acquire a high-level player in multi-team deals.
As for the Lakers, they have made Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and the No. 4 pick available in the 2019 NBA Draft, according to Marc Stein of New York Times:
The Lakers have made Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and the No. 4 pick in the June 20 draft available in trade talks with the Pelicans, league sources say. New Orleans has made it known it hope to assemble a three-teams-or-more deal before surrendering Anthony Davis.
Based on what the Pelicans are looking for, it is not surprising Ingram, Ball, and the No. 4 pick have all been made available since they have All-Star potential.
Although it would be difficult trading the young core, Davis fulfills the team’s short- and long-term goals. Along with being LeBron James’ second All-Star player now, Davis could realistically lead them for at least 6-7 more seasons.
With general manager Rob Pelinka in charge now, it will be interesting to see what ultimately happens with Davis.
