Pelicans Rumors: Ranking Anthony Davis trade offers from all 29 teams

Anthony Davis started some more Pelicans Rumors when he told the media that all 29 other teams in the league are on his list of desired destinations. Let’s rank what each team could offer for him in a trade.

When the Pelicans Rumors began swirling last month in regards to the trade request Anthony Davis made to the New Orleans Pelicans, it was believed that there was a very short list of teams that Davis was interested in playing for. However, Anthony Davis flipped the script on everyone Saturday at All-Star Weekend Media Day when he told the world that he’d play for any of the 29 teams in the NBA besides the Pelicans.

If we’re taking Anthony Davis at his word here, this quote opens the door for literally every single organization to give the New Orleans Pelicans a phone call to see what they could offer the Pellies in return for their superstar.

The Pelicans will be selective, and they’ve already made it clear that they want a haul of draft picks and young, promising players in return for Anthony Davis. Not all teams have the same stockpile of assets as others, so with all of this in mind, let’s take a look at who could put together the best trade package for Davis, in order from least attractive to most.

#29 Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are awesome, but their trade assets are not. Obviously, James Harden and Chris Paul would be off limits, so cobbling together an offer good enough for the Pelicans is next to impossible.

The Pelicans wouldn’t want Eric Gordon back, so they’d have to settle for a young asset in Clint Capela, the aging PJ Tucker, and a slew of picks that will likely be towards the very end of the first round in all of those drafts. No thanks.

#28 Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets have more young prospects than Houston, but it’s not much better here. The missing star from this trade that comes to mind from the Hornets is all-star guard Kemba Walker, but he’s a free agent this summer and would have to agree to some sort of sign-and-trade to be included, meaning he’d have to agree to a new contract knowing he’d immediately be sent to New Orleans.

Still, Malik Monk and Miles Bridges are both extremely raw and young. There’s a chance they could turn into solid players. But this deal is not a slam dunk by any means. The draft picks would likely be towards the middle of the first round.

#27 Detroit Pistons

Andre Drummond is the same age as AD. He’s a two time all-star and is one of the best rebounders in the entire NBA. Still, his game is fairly limited overall. It would be nice for the Pelicans to get an established all-star back in a trade right off the bat, but Drummond isn’t really the ideal piece in a rebuilding process.

The other two assets here could turn into a couple of great shooters, but their ceilings are pretty low overall compared to some prospects we’ll see later in this list. The draft picks won’t be in the Top 10.

#26 Cleveland Cavaliers

While Kevin Love has had a great career, is a multiple time all-star, and has a championship pedigree, he’s also had a list of injury issues in recent years. He’s 30 years old and signed a contract extension recently that pays him $28-31 million per year until 2022-2023. It probably wouldn’t be smart for New Orleans to tie themselves to a contract like that for the next several years.

Still, Collin Sexton, the bullish rookie point guard, is the best young player that’s been included in any of these hypotheticals so far. Cedi Osman has shown a lot of promise to this point in his young career as well. The draft picks are both late first rounders in the next draft, but it would net the Pelicans 3 first round picks in 2019 total.

#25 Utah Jazz

Rudy Gobert is entering the prime of his career and was the Defensive Player of the Year a season ago. He’s led the league in blocks and has made the All-Defensive team a couple of times as well. By all accounts, he’s a force down low and would make the Pelicans’ interior defense better than ever. Still, he’s not on a long contract, and there would be concern right off the bat that he might not see New Orleans as a long-term home, which would take us back to square one.

Exum is a good piece to include in this deal, but the draft pick is not a great one with the Jazz currently being a playoff team this year. The Pelicans do get the added benefit of some cap relief by sending Solomon Hill away here as well.

#24 San Antonio Spurs

This would be a pretty nice package if not for some injury concerns. Dejounte Murray and Lonnie Walker are both exciting, athletic, young prospects that have shown some enticing potential. However, both have already suffered some fairly significant injuries in their lives, so there would be concern about whether or not they’re actually cornerstones you can build around.

Patty “Wait He’s Actually Only 30?” Mills is a great leader and prolific shooter from range that could help Jrue Holiday out in the locker room. Davis Bertans doesn’t move the needle a lot here, but he’s been a starter this season for the Spurs, so maybe the Pelicans could find some use for him as well.

The Spurs get to add Davis to their core of DeRozan and Aldridge, which could be a pretty nasty lineup.

#23 Oklahoma City Thunder

Steven Adams has grinded his way into being a Top 10 center in the NBA. While his offensive game is fairly limited, his work on the defensive end of the floor and on the glass is noteworthy. Combine all of his skills together and you have a formidable opponent that other teams hate matching up with. He’s on contract for two more full seasons and seems like a guy that could buy into New Orleans long-term.

Jerami Grant is young and springy. He’s been much improved this season for OKC and has turned into an integral part of their rotation. He can play on the wing or play down low, making him versatile and useful. Hamidou Diallo hasn’t gotten on the court too much yet in his young career, but the 2019 Slam Dunk Contest Champion can clearly jump out of the building and might be able to turn his athleticism into a solid enough career.

For the Thunder, can you imagine AD alongside MVP candidate Paul George and former MVP Russell Westbrook? Whew.

#22 Milwaukee Bucks

This one would be nice, but also tricky to pull off. Khris Middleton will test unrestricted free agency this upcoming offseason, so he’d have to agree to a sign-and-trade after inking a new deal with the Bucks already knowing he’d be traded to the Pelicans. Still, he’s an all-star that’s already gone on the record to say he doesn’t mind playing for a small market, which would be encouraging for New Orleans.

Former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon is a free agent himself this summer, but a restricted one. This means the Bucks basically can retain his rights no matter what, as long as they’re willing to match any other offers from another team. Throwing him in on a trade for Davis alongside Middleton is about the only way the Bucks can come up with an offer close to good enough.

#21 Miami Heat

Josh Richardson isn’t a super flashy name, but the 25 year old is carving out a reputation for himself in the league thanks to his ability to light up the scoreboard on any given night. Paired with a pretty good young prospect in Bam Adebayo, this starts to turn into a trade package that’s at least worth hearing out.

The draft pick from this season could end up in the lottery, and the one far in the future could fall just about anywhere.

#20 Golden State Warriors

Let’s get the obvious out of the way with this one: These first round picks from Golden State will surely come at the tail end of every NBA draft. It would be nice for the Pelicans to score 3 first rounders in one transaction, but the value in these particular ones is pretty low.

Jordan Bell is an upcoming restricted free agent but could be sent over to the Pelicans after he inks a new contract. He’s shown to be a very interesting piece in the frontcourt already.

Draymond Green’s numbers are admittedly down this season, but it’s understandable considering how loaded Golden State has become, especially now with the return of DeMarcus Cousins. Draymond was an all-star for three straight seasons before 2018-2019, and he’s won numerous defensive awards including Defensive Player of the Year in 2017.

#19 Denver Nuggets

The Pelicans receive a nice package of three young assets that all have the capability to be starters in the future. Gary Harris would pair very nicely with Jrue Holiday in the backcourt. Malik Beasley is only 22 and is turning into somewhat of a beast this season.

The wildcard here is Michael Porter Jr., the highly touted rookie prospect that was expected to be a very early draft pick last season before it was discovered that he would need a major back surgery that would keep him out of the entire 2018-2019 NBA season. Still, if he returns and can reach a level close to what people originally expected from him, this is a very nice package of three young studs.

#18 Washington Wizards

The Wizards don’t have a ton of enticing prospects or assets to offer in a trade, but Bradley Beal is a killer. He’s been an all-star in each of the last two seasons and has put up 22+ points per game since 2016. Of course, not every all-star is created equally, but Beal is very good and is still young enough to build around.

The draft picks could actually be really good as Washington currently has odds to receive the 7th pick in the 2019 Draft. The addition of Anthony Davis probably makes the pick from 2021 go down in value if the Wizards retain him, but it’s possible it could still end up in the lottery.

#17 Indiana Pacers

Myles Turner currently leads the league in blocked shots. Combined with his stellar all-around interior defense, he’s a bonafide Defensive Player of the Year candidate this season. His work on the offensive end of the court has also been really coming into form over the last few months as he’s been stretching the floor very well and is building some important confidence. Oh yeah, he’s also only 22 years old and still is miles away from his peak.

Aaron Holiday, the rookie point guard from UCLA, is also sent over here to join his brother Jrue in the backcourt, which could be a ton of fun. TJ Leaf isn’t a great prospect, but he’s proven he can at least get on the court and have an occasional positive impact shooting the ball and grabbing rebounds. The draft picks are later in the first round, but nice bonuses alongside Turner and Holiday.

#16 Minnesota Timberwolves

No draft picks included in this one because it would take convincing for the Timberwolves to include their rookie Josh Okogie, who is fresh off an appearance in the Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend.

Andrew Wiggins is on a pretty daunting contract, but with the right leadership and system, he still has the chance to become a special player in the league if he works at it. Robert Covington and Dario Saric were awesome rotational pieces for the 76ers before they were shipped away in the Jimmy Butler trade. Covington adds a ton of value on defense, and Saric adds a very nice offensive game.

#15 Dallas Mavericks

This one is stuck in the middle of these rankings just because I don’t know if you could actually get the Dallas Mavericks to include Luka Doncic, the 19 year old rookie phenom, in any sort of trade. Sure, it’s a trade for Anthony Davis, but the Mavericks would have to receive some sort of basically-binding commitment from Davis that he’d still around beyond next season in order for Luka to even be mentioned in a deal.

For how high the Mavs are on Doncic, a draft pick isn’t included here either. However, Tim Hardaway Jr. can score in bunches and could be a nice addition in New Orleans.

#14 Memphis Grizzlies

Like the Mavericks, the Memphis Grizzlies also love their 2018 round rounder, Jaren Jackson Jr. He’s a pretty good piece for the team to build around as they seem to transition into a new era of Grizzlies basketball. However, with the team holding onto point guard Mike Conley beyond the trade deadline, it might signal that Memphis could be open to a situation that nets them another star to pair with Conley to give the aging guard one last run at something great before his inevitable decline.

This one is definitely more of a risk for the Grizzlies than it is for the Pelicans, but if Memphis thinks they can convince AD to stick around and be the future of their organization, they might be interested.

#13 Orlando Magic

Here’s where things start to get pretty interesting. Aaron Gordon is a very promising trade piece. He’s only 22 years old but has already developed a game that has matured beyond his years and will only keep improving. He’s also on a shockingly team-friendly contract that decreases in value as it goes.

The super strange NBA journey of Markelle Fultz has been well documented, but now that his injury diagnosis has been figured out, he’ll be able to work towards good health and hopefully turn back into the player everyone thought he could be when he was drafted #1 overall a couple years ago.

Mo Bamba was the Magic’s first rounder last season, and while his ceiling is still a bit unclear, he’s still a great prospect. The inclusion of Orlando’s next two first round picks here helps cancel out the uncertainty of receiving Fultz and Bamba.

#12 Los Angeles Lakers

Welp, here it is. The core pieces of the “Godfather Offer” that the Los Angeles Lakers dangled in front of the Pelicans before the trade deadline. This one has been talked about enough in recent weeks.

As you can see, the Pelicans could definitely do worse with an offer from a team mentioned before this one, but keep clicking to see how New Orleans could do better.

#11 Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets are one of the surprise success stories of this current NBA season. D’Angelo Russell is a big part of the reason why as he’s developed into a first time all-star this year. He’s a restricted free agent, but again, the Nets could sign him to a new contract and then include him in a deal for Davis.

The Nets have some depth at the guard spot and have already given a contract extension to Spencer Dinwiddie, so a trade like this would help decide which guard they really want to commit to moving forward.

Jarrett Allen is a young, shot blocking fiend and has really started to come into his own in the paint this season. A couple of first rounders are included as well, though not fantastic ones.

#10 Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks’ first rounder could be in the Top 5 this year. Combine that pick with the already extremely promising outlooks of Trae Young and John Collins, and Kent Bazemore improving New Orleans on the wing, and there’s definitely something here for the Pelicans.

The issue here is that the Hawks wouldn’t really be left with much to build around Davis outside of a guy like Taurean Prince. They would have to get creative to come up with a roster that can compete in the East, even with a guy as good as Davis.

#9 Phoenix Suns

Here, the Pelicans get the most recent #1 pick in the NBA via Deandre Ayton. The rookie center is still wet behind the ears, but is clearly showing why he was picked over every other rookie (even though Luka Doncic is the clear Rookie of the Year to this point). TJ Warren can score at a high level, and Mikal Bridges is another nice building block.

The Suns are able to keep their current star, Devin Booker, happy by giving him a true wingman to work with. Phoenix would hope they climb the standings in 2020 with the addition of Davis in order to make losing their 2020 first round draft pick less painful, while the Pelicans would pray Phoenix stays in mediocrity.

#8 Chicago Bulls

The Pelicans get cap relief while also adding a versatile, hard working wing in Otto Porter Jr., as well as two brilliant young additions to their frontcourt. This would also be one of the better draft picks that a team can offer for AD.

The Bulls get their new hometown hero since Davis is a Chicago native and go all-in on the exciting combination of him paired with Zach Lavine. This one seems to benefit both sides pretty well, especially considering the Bulls could use the hometown angle to get Davis to re-sign.

#7 Portland Trail Blazers

This is the last hypothetical offer on the list where the Pelicans are able to gain some important cap relief by sending away Solomon Hill. They also get back the sharpshooting, arguably multiple time all-star snub, CJ McCollum. CJ is still in his 20s and has shot right around an insane 40% or better from long range 4 separate seasons.

Jusuf Nurkic is a brick wall in the post, and Meyers Leonard would crack the rotation for the Pelicans as well. The Blazers get to make some major noise with the duo of Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard.

#6 Los Angeles Clippers

When the Clippers shipped away Tobias Harris around the trade deadline, they stockpiled on assets and created a scenario where they could pretty easily end up with two max contract slots this offseason.

A trade like this fills one of those max slots for the Clippers, but keeps the other one open with the departure of Danilo Gallinari’s contract, leaving the door open for them to pair a guy like Kawhi Leonard alongside Anthony Davis.

The Pelicans get a great scorer in Gallinari, a Most Improved Player candidate in Montrezl Harrell, a point guard of the future in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and a truckload of first rounders, including the coveted 2021 pick from the Miami Heat. There’s a lot to love in this trade package.

#5 Sacramento Kings

Like the Hawks trade, this is another one where the team trading for Davis would have a lot to figure out if they made a deal like this. Sending away Fox, Bagley, Bogdanovic, and a draft pick doesn’t leave Sacramento with much to work with. However, Anthony Davis is Anthony Davis, and the possibility of gaining a Top 10 player in the league might be tempting enough to get the Kings to agree to something like this.

A trade like this really sets the Pelicans up for the future, as all three guys included have very clear paths to being effective starters for a long time. De’Aaron Fox specifically has “all-star” written all over him.

#4 Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers keep making moves showing they’re going all-in on winning right now, and this is another one of those situations. While Ben Simmons can’t shoot from range worth anything, we all know he’s going to be a Top 25 or better-type guy for the next decade. Zhaire Smith, while injured this season, is another good asset for the future of the Pelicans.

The Sixers get to put AD in the frontcourt with Joel Embiid, virtually eliminating points in the paint for any opponent they ever face. The Sixers likely couldn’t afford Davis, Embiid, Jimmy Butler, AND Tobias Harris, so they’d have to ultimately make a choice between Butler and Harris. Regardless, that’s an amazing Big 3 that will run the Eastern Conference for years.

#3 Toronto Raptors

While none of the names included here are as flashy as Ben Simmons, this Toronto package is exactly what the Pelicans should be looking for. Pascal Siakam came seemingly out of nowhere this year to be a borderline all-star snub and probably the front-runner for Most Improved Player of the Year.

OG Anunoby seems destined to make several All-Defensive teams throughout his career and keeps getting young Kawhi Leonard comparisons thrown around when people discuss his game. Serge Ibaka would probably be a starter for the Pels, if not an important part of the rotation.

A move like this benefits the Raptors greatly because it could be enough to convince Kawhi Leonard to re-sign during the summer as well. This offer would be one of the best both ways.

#2 New York Knicks

The New York Knicks currently have odds to receive the #2 pick in the 2019 NBA draft, but there’s clearly still a huge chance they could be picking first when the season and draft lottery are complete. In this scenario, the Pelicans score Zion Williamson, the seemingly generational-type talent out of Duke that every team at the bottom of the league is currently tanking for.

Zion alone would be a great return for the Pelicans, but combine him with Kevin Knox, Dennis Smith Jr., and Frank Ntilikina and we have an offer that New Orleans would have a very hard time turning down.

For the Knicks, this trade makes sense because they also have the possibility of opening up two max contract slots this summer. They’re rumored to go hard after players like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, so pairing one of those players alongside Anthony Davis would be absolutely huge for New York.

#1 Boston Celtics

Here we are. While we’ve seen some other offers the Pelicans would probably be thrilled to receive, this is the one. Jayson Tatum has already developed into a star, and he’s 20 years old. There is no reason to think he won’t be a Top 20 or better type of player for many seasons in his career. He is absolutely the best asset the Pelicans can realistically receive in the AD Sweepstakes.

But this deal doesn’t just end with Tatum. Jaylen Brown would be amazing on the wing alongside Tatum, and Marcus Smart is an incredible defender that would be ridiculous next to Jrue Holiday, a dude who also locks players down on a regular basis. This first round pick from Memphis will also be a very good one, though it is protected.

Make no mistake, this is a lot to give up if you’re Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics. However, Anthony Davis is exactly the type of player that Ainge has been hoarding assets for over the last several years. If Boston wants to get involved, they can pretty easily outbid everyone else, outside of arguably the New York Knicks.

As the Anthony Davis trade news continues to leak out between now and the offseason, Pelican Debrief will keep you updated every step of the way. Till then, we’ll just have to speculate on offers the New Orleans Pelicans could receive in return for their highly coveted superstar.