The NBA Trade Deadline will be upon us on Thursday, and Pelicans rumors are flying. Anthony Davis has just added two more teams to his list of preferred destinations. What could these teams send in exchange for AD?
Pelicans rumors are all over NBA Twitter as we speed towards the February 7th trade deadline. Things are picking up steam as Anthony Davis and his camp have just given some more useful information to New Orleans regarding his future plans.
News is breaking right this minute that Davis has added some teams to his list of desired trade partners that he originally gave the Pelicans. Initially, it was thought Davis might only be willing to sign new contracts with the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks, but new developments are saying otherwise.
Anthony Davis’ representatives have informed the Pelicans that he would sign long-term with the Lakers, Knicks, Bucks and Clippers if he is traded, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2019
This news is a bombshell, as it forces all teams mentioned to outbid one another if they want a shot at securing a deal to acquire Davis. One team clearly missing from this report is the Boston Celtics, which on the one hand is disappointing because Boston could offer a nice haul of assets for AD.
On the other hand, this now forces the Lakers, Knicks, Bucks, and Clippers to send over some seriously convincing offers if they want in on the AD Sweepstakes. It seemed like the Lakers weren’t taking this whole situation seriously enough before, but it looks like that’s all changing now too.
The Lakers have offered a new package to New Orleans that includes multiple young players, multiple draft picks and Pelicans salary cap relief for Anthony Davis, league sources tell ESPN. The offer appears to move closer to the objectives that the Pelicans are pursuing in a deal.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 4, 2019
With this new competition entering the fray, it seems the Lakers are finally getting down to business. All of this serves to create great leverage for the Pelicans. We’ve already written about the best packages the Knicks and Lakers could send New Orleans, but what could the Bucks and Clippers be willing to part with? Let’s take a look.
Milwaukee Bucks
Here, the Pelicans land an all-star wing in Khris Middleton who is a free agent this summer, but literally just went on the record saying he doesn’t mind being in a small market. This would encourage the Pelicans that they could re-sign Middleton in free agency.
Malcolm Brogdon is the former Rookie of the Year winner and is a free agent this summer as well, but he’s restricted, meaning the Pelicans could match any offer another team sends his way, making him easy to re-sign.
Thon Maker is an enigma, but he wants out of Milwaukee anyway, so might as well add him to the mix. He could still have untapped potential that could benefit New Orleans in the frontcourt.
Snell makes the money work for this deal, and the two future first round draft picks ensure the Pelicans are taken care of for years to come.
Los Angeles Clippers
If the Pelicans can get Tobias Harris to re-sign when he is a free agent this summer, this trade offer could be a slam dunk. Harris has played in the small market before, spending time with Milwaukee, Orlando, and Detroit. This would make the Pelicans hopeful he’d stick around in free agency. He was one of the most upsetting all-star snubs this season and is playing at a very high level.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a rookie and looks to be the point guard of the future for any team that holds his contract. The Clippers would absolutely hate to part with him, but would consider it for a guy like Anthony Davis being on their roster for the foreseeable future.
Montrezl Harrell is a most improved player candidate this year and could instantly be inserted into the starting lineup in Davis’ place.
This is a monster deal, and one that both sides could benefit from for a long time.
The Pelicans have some phone calls to make as the Anthony Davis Sweepstakes just got a lot more interesting. A deal coming before the deadline is much more likely now than it was yesterday. Keep it locked here at Pelican Debrief for more updates along the way.