When Anthony Davis informed the New Orleans Pelicans he would not sign a contract extension this summer and was seeking a trade, there wasn’t much of a guarantee that would manifest before Thursday’s 12 p.m. PT deadline.
After all, Davis remained under contract at least through the 2019-2020 season, when he can opt out of his deal. Nevertheless, the Los Angeles Lakers began to aggressively pursue a deal for Davis, beginning with presenting the Pelicans with five trade proposals.
While none were said to have been to New Orleans’ liking, the Lakers increased their offer to meet reported demands. That too proved futile, as the Pelicans still did not offer much of a response to the Lakers.
That prompted L.A. to grow frustrated over the saga and withdraw from talks on Tuesday. Now, a few hours from the trade deadline, the Lakers and Pelicans still aren’t making any progress toward a deal, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
Nearly 3 hours away from the NBA's trade deadline and … the Lakers-Pelicans talks on Anthony Davis are dormant, league sources tell ESPN. No communication, nor an expectation that they'll even speak today. Pelicans seem content to run out the clock.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 7, 2019
With the likelihood of a Davis trade fading, the Lakers pivoted and acquired Reggie Bullock from the Detroit Pistons. Moreover, they are believed to be shopping Kyle Kuzma in other trade scenarios.
For Davis, his future may very well not be decided until the offseason, when the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks could factor prominently in trade talks. Although the Celtics have not explicitly promised Jayson Tatum would be involved, they reportedly have conveyed to the Pelicans their intentions of assembling a strong package for Davis.
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