With the New Orleans Pelicans near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, Anthony Davis’ agent Rich Paul officially informed the team his client will not sign a contract extension and has requested a trade.
With the Feb. 7 trade deadline approaching, it gives the Los Angeles Lakers their best chance to trade for Davis. They has been searching for a second All-Star player via trade or free agency to play alongside LeBron James.
As president of basketball operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka reportedly met to prepare a trade offer, the Lakers would likely have to at least part with Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac and a first-round draft pick.
With the Pelicans reportedly listening to offers, they will only trade Davis at the deadline for a substantial haul, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
The New Orleans Pelicans plan to listen to offers on All-NBA center Anthony Davis but won’t make a deal before next Thursday’s NBA trade deadline unless they’re offered an overwhelming package for the franchise’s star, league sources told ESPN.
Although the Boston Celtics are viewed as the team that can offer the best package for Davis, they will have to wait until July 1 due to Kyrie Irving and the ‘Rose Rule.’ As a result, the Lakers are aggressively pursuing Davis now to avoid what happened with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.
If the Lakers are successful in trading for the 25-year-old, it could set them up to sign Klay Thompson later in free agency. While it is difficult to see Thompson leaving the Golden State Warriors, not offering him a max contract could change the dynamic.
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