The New Orleans Pelicans rumors from earlier this year pointed towards Boston being the most likely trade destination for Anthony Davis. If the Bucks handily defeat the Celtics in the playoffs, the odds of Boston trading for AD only go up.
If they want to, the Boston Celtics have more than enough assets to make the New Orleans Pelicans an offer for Anthony Davis that they simply cannot refuse. To be sure, the top two contenders to win the AD Sweepstakes are the Celtics, and whichever team ends up with the #1 overall pick after the NBA Draft Lottery takes place on May 14th.
Even without the #1 pick, Boston has the promising young assets and at least 3, possibly 4 first round draft picks (depending on lottery results) that they could dangle in front of New Orleans, giving the Pelicans a chance to secure an unprecedented 3 draft picks in the lottery.
However, the Celtics’ willingness to truly offer the best package for Anthony Davis may hinge on tonight’s Game 5 in Milwaukee. Currently, the Bucks lead the series with the Celtics to a tune of 3-1, so there is a very real chance Boston’s season comes to a conclusion tonight.
A second round playoff appearance would be encouraging for some franchises, but for Boston, this would be a significant disappointment. The Celtics were the team at the beginning of the season that almost everyone figured would be the Eastern Conference favorite, so anything less than a Conference Finals appearance will be a complete failure.
The Kyrie Irving Experiment in Boston seems to be a bust. Fans and media alike having been questioning his leadership all season long, and that’s only gotten worse in the playoffs. Kyrie’s not doing himself any favors in this area either. After what’s arguably been his worst three game stretch in his postseason career, Irving seemed apathetic about everything post-game.
Kyrie Irving on his rough shooting the last three games: “Who cares?”
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 7, 2019
Said he should have shot 30 shots instead, but needs to be more cautious with the ball.
He kept digging a hole for himself when he was then asked about leaving the court before the game clock had even expired.
Kyrie Irving on leaving the court before the final buzzer: “The game was over.”
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 7, 2019
Kyrie’s attitude and performance combined with the level of failure this season will be deemed if it ends tonight has everyone wondering about the future of this team. Kyrie Irving will likely opt out of his contract to test free agency. Then what? Boston has already gone through their rebuild process. They’ve hoarded assets and have developed young talent long enough that they can’t afford to take a step back. They need to be competitive next season.
This is where it gets good for the New Orleans Pelicans. If Kyrie Irving leaves the Celtics, they’ll be forced to get another star elsewhere to keep the team relevant. Enter, Anthony Davis. Or, if they want to continue on with Kyrie Irving and need to convince him this team has potential moving forward, they’ll have to pair him with someone truly special to keep him engaged and invested. Again, enter, Anthony Davis.
If Boston were to pull off a miracle and take this series to 7 games or somehow even make it to the next round, they might be more tempted to simply run it back next season and try again with most of their roster intact since the year prior showed so much promise. However, as it stands, the team needs to do something to improve next year. They clearly just don’t have what it takes right now to truly compete in the East, despite what everyone thought preseason.
Because of all of this, the New Orleans Pelicans and their fans should be pulling for a Milwaukee Bucks series-clinching victory tonight. The bigger the win, the better. Whatever the Bucks can do to dismantle the Celtics in this game only helps to convince Boston that they need a player like Anthony Davis. With up to 4 first round picks in 2019 and young assets like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart potentially being on the table, tonight’s matchup has serious implications for the Pelicans.