With the NBA Trade Deadline two days away, all eyes continue to be on the ongoing saga with New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis. The Los Angeles Lakers have reportedly withdrawn from trade talks, believing the Pelicans to be asking for too much in a deal.
The Lakers would prefer to acquire Davis immediately as opposed to waiting until the summer. Once the offseason comes, many other teams can get involved, most notably the Boston Celtics. Other teams will also know where their draft picks will be, which could also appeal to the Pelicans if a top-3 pick became available.
That is why many teams around the league reportedly would like to see the Pelicans wait until the summer to trade Davis under the notion they could receive a better deal than what the Lakers are offering, via Tania Ganguli and Brad Turner of the L.A. Times:
According to people familiar with their thinking, many teams around the league would like to see New Orleans wait, believing that Demps will get a better deal this summer than he can get now from the Lakers.
The Celtics have long been believed to be the Lakers’ biggest competition in a potential Davis trade, especially if they are willing to deal young star Jayson Tatum. There are rumors that Davis wouldn’t re-sign with the Celtics, but they could be willing to take that risk.
Among teams that Davis reportedly would be open to re-signing with, the New York Knicks may have the top pick in the draft which would be a very intriguing piece. Likewise, the Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks could be better positioned to offer different trade packages, and there is always a surprise team that can pop up out of nowhere.
The Lakers want Davis and if the Pelicans are willing to re-engage them before the deadline, they would love to get a deal done immediately. But if that doesn’t happen, many teams around the league will likely extremely happy.
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