Almost any team would be thrilled to have Anthony Davis on their roster, but who is actually the most likely to strike a deal with the New Orleans Pelicans?
A few weeks ago during David Griffin’s introductory press conference with the media in New Orleans, some hope was restored that the front office might possibly be able to convince Anthony Davis to give the New Orleans Pelicans a second chance. Griffin has a history building championship-caliber teams, so if anyone could change Davis’ mind, it would be him.
However, it seems like Anthony Davis is not going to be won back over. There will be one more meeting between Davis and Griffin to see if any common ground can be found at all, but the odds are absolutely not in favor of AD sticking around the Big Easy. It seems it’s finally time to accept that the Pelicans will be moving on.
With AD’s locker possibly being cleaned out as we speak, there will be no shortage of interest in the superstar’s services around the league. Drama aside, Davis is still definitely a top 10 player in the league, and arguably top 5 when healthy and in a groove. His value is insanely high, even with just one year left on his contract.
Still, certain teams just aren’t going to be able to get a deal done. Many simply don’t have the assets, while others wouldn’t want to upset their chemistry and continuity for what would likely end up being a one year rental for their specific team. So, let’s take a look at who could actually pull the trigger on a transaction and rank all 29 teams from least to most likely to make a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans for Anthony Davis.
#29 Charlotte Hornets
Like the Pelicans, the Charlotte Hornets are at a crossroads. Their franchise star Kemba Walker is an unrestricted free agent, and he hasn’t exactly made any commitments to re-signing with the Hornets at this point. If he chooses to leave for greener pastures elsewhere, Charlotte will undoubtedly enter into a full rebuild.
With or without Kemba, the Hornets are probably not a team that could get Davis to consider sticking around after his contract expires. And to make matters worse, they really do not have the assets necessary to even get the Pelicans to pick up the phone to hear out their offer.
They’ll likely select around 12th in the 2019 NBA Draft, and their best young players they could lure New Orleans with are Malik Monk and Miles Bridges, two guys that don’t seem to have too much potential beyond being solid sixth men someday.
The only thing that makes sense for the Pelicans is some sort of sign-and-trade that sends Kemba Walker over to New Orleans to pair with Jrue Holiday. This would be a great get for the Pels, to be sure. However, if Kemba was interested in the Big Easy, the Pelicans could just sign him themselves and ship AD somewhere else for a better package. There’s nothing here to tempt New Orleans.
#28 Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are a bit of a confusing team. They’ve got two of the most talented players in the NBA with the athletic tandem of Russell Westbrook and Paul George, yet they still haven’t made significant noise in the west with these two at the helm. The Western Conference is tough to compete in, to be sure, but failing to make it out of the first round of the playoffs this year is a failure for a franchise with this level of talent.
Despite their shortcomings, Westbrook and George are pretty much untouchable on this roster, which leaves the best pieces the Thunder could send back to the Pelicans being players like center Steven Adams and springy forward Jerami Grant. Adams is one of the top centers in the league, and Grant is still fairly young with the potential to keep improving, but these two don’t really move the needle for the Pelicans.
Combine all of this with some pretty mediocre draft assets now and in the future, and there’s really not much of a chance at all that OKC could put together any sort of package to win the Pelicans over unless they’re willing to offer either The Brodie or PG13.
A big three of Westbrook, George, and Davis would be incredible, but it’s just not happening. Sorry, Thunder fans.
#27 Golden State Warriors
Sheesh. Can you imagine the uproar nationwide as everyone outside of the state of California collectively weeps as yet another superstar makes his way to Oakland to team up with Stephen Curry? If AD were somehow to end up on this roster, the 2019-2020 season might as well be canceled. It would be a foregone conclusion.
The good news for everyone else that’s tired of the Warriors’ reign is that the team doesn’t really have the pieces to get a deal done. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson are free agents, and neither would be very likely at all to agree to a sign-and-trade that sent them to New Orleans (plus, why would Golden State trade a guy like Durant for AD anyway?).
Klay would be nice on the Pelicans, and the Warriors might be willing to move on from him for a player like Davis, but there’s no reason to expect he won’t re-sign to stay with his current team next season.
That leaves the best package the Warriors could put together likely being an offer centered around Draymond Green, which won’t be enough to get the Pelicans interested. No offense to Draymond, but he’s just not the type of player to build around in a total rebuild. Golden State’s late first round draft picks don’t help things much either. This one will not happen.
#26 Detroit Pistons
The Pistons have a couple of top 25 players in the league, and it would make sense to possibly package one of them in a trade offer to try to win the Anthony Davis Sweepstakes if AD had a year or two more on his current contract.
As it stands, parting with either Blake Griffin or Andre Drummond in order to acquire Davis probably wouldn’t be the smartest move for a team in a market like Detroit. Motor City isn’t exactly a glamorous location for a superstar that seems to want to grow his personal brand in a major market, so the Pistons would have many reservations about potentially mortgaging their future for one year of an Anthony Davis rental.
Detroit would likely want to keep Griffin to pair with AD and opt to package the 25 year old rebounding machine Andre Drummond with some young players like Luke Kennard and Thon Maker. However, the Pistons don’t have a pick in the lottery, so they’d have to include many future draft assets to try to sway the Pelicans.
It’s not a terrible offer, but it’s not likely one that even gets placed on the table. The Pelicans will get better offers, and the Pistons won’t want to take the risk.
#25 Indiana Pacers
In truth, the Indiana Pacers actually could put together a very respectable offer for Anthony Davis’ services. Young, exciting big men in Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis would lessen the blow of losing AD in New Orleans. Either or both of these guys could step in and instantly get heavy minutes for the Pelicans and make sure they’re competitive night in and night out.
Aaron Holiday could be included in a deal as well, which would be an amazing PR move pairing the rookie point guard in the backcourt with his older brother, Jrue. The Pelicans could even go for the Holiday trifecta and sign Justin in free agency just to have all three brothers under one roof.
But the Pacers have too recently been scorned by a disgruntled superstar themselves (looking at you, Paul George). If anyone understands the difficulties of being located in a small market, it’s Indiana. They will not take the risk to trade for a guy like AD that will more likely than not leave the next summer anyway. President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard loves continuity on his rosters, and selling the farm for this much uncertainty isn’t something he’d do.
The prospect of a healthy Victor Oladipo playing alongside Anthony Davis is an exciting one, but not one anyone should actually expect to happen.
#24 Utah Jazz
The Jazz have kind of been the surprise of the NBA for the last couple of seasons. No one figured them to be a formidable playoff qualifier last year with the departure of Gordon Hayward, but the surprising instant success of Donovan Mitchell combined with the stifling defense of Rudy Gobert and several awesome role players was enough to lead the Jazz to more success than anyone expected.
Adding Anthony Davis to this team would be great for them as they try to take the necessary steps to reach the next level, but again, the assets probably just aren’t there to get the Pelicans to listen to offers. A deal would have to include either Mitchell or Gobert for New Orleans to have anything resembling interest, but Utah would be very hesitant to trade away either player only to have AD leave in 2020.
Mitchell is too young and has too much explosive upside to walk away from, and Gobert is a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate that is every bit as good as Davis on that end of the court already. Like the other teams near the bottom of this list, the Jazz just don’t have the draft capital or future stars already on the roster to get the Pelicans to buy what they’re selling.
#23 Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers could put together a pretty nice trade offer for the New Orleans Pelicans. Assuming Damian Lillard is untouchable, Portland could package guys like CJ McCollum, Jusuf Nurkic, Zach Collins, and Meyers Leonard along with some draft picks, and the Pelicans would be forced to at least consider the deal.
However, out of any team in the NBA, the Blazers feel like the organization most likely to just run things back in 2019-2020. Most of their key players will be under contract, and the team is still playing deep into the postseason as they prepare for Game 7 tonight against the Denver Nuggets to determine who takes on the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
The Blazers love a player like Lillard for his loyalty to the city and fans, and the organization itself seems like one in recent years that sticks by their players, betting on them instead of selling low for assets that might not ever pan out.
While Davis and Lillard would be one of the most exciting duos in the league, the loss of chemistry and trust in the Blazers’ locker room could take a hit if a player like CJ McCollum is shipped off to Louisiana against his will. Despite the offer actually being good, Portland probably values their current lineup too highly to give the Pelicans everything they’d want in return.
#22 Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are a team that’s a bit hard to get a read on. It would seem they are entering a rebuild after shipping away Marc Gasol to the Toronto Raptors, however, they have elected to hang onto 31 year old point guard Mike Conley. They seem like they know big changes need to start taking place organization wide, but they just haven’t fully committed to starting over quite yet.
Because of this, it’s possible Memphis would be open to taking one last shot at a deep playoff run with Conley at the helm before deciding what to really do with their future. Conley’s window is closing, and the time to strike is right now if they want to give him one last chance to bring glory to Tennessee.
A trade for Anthony Davis would have to include Jaren Jackson Jr., the 19 year old rookie out of Michigan State. He’s not as flashy of a name as other rookies like Luka Doncic or Trae Young, but Jackson’s future is every bit as bright as anyone else in his draft class.
If the current draft lottery odds hold true, the Grizzlies could also end up with the 6th overall pick to dangle in front of New Orleans. There’s potential here for a pretty nice package to be put together in exchange for AD, but it hinges on what direction the Grizzlies actually want to go with their future.
#21 Minnesota Timberwolves
After the volatile departure of Jimmy Butler, the Minnesota Timberwolves are a team that’s likely looking for another splash this offseason in order to get their franchise trending back in the right direction. Missing the playoffs with a roster as promising as theirs was when the season started is a big disappointment, so the Wolves could be a team willing to package their lottery pick with anything necessary to land AD, outside of young center Karl-Anthony Towns.
Andrew Wiggins has not lived up to his sky-high hype level when he came into the league, and he’s under contract with Minnesota from now till 3 years into the next president of the United State’s term. A change of scenery could do Wiggins some good, and he’s still just 24 years old with plenty of room and time to turn things around in his career.
Minnesota could send the Pelicans Andrew Wiggins, Robert Covington, Dario Saric, their 2019 lottery pick, and whatever else necessary to get the deal done. These three players are all solid and have upside, but none of them will likely ever develop into superstars. The Timberwolves are a team that probably would be up for a move like this, but the Pelicans might feel like a bigger player is attainable in a different offer.
#20 Milwaukee Bucks
An Anthony Davis trade with the Bucks would more than likely have to center around a sign-and-trade centered around Khris Middleton, the 27 year old all-star wing, as the top asset returned for the Pelicans. Sign-and-trades are tricky, but Middleton is a guy that’s totally fine with playing in the small market, so it’s actually possible that the New Orleans Pelicans could win him over.
Outside of Middleton though, the Bucks don’t have too much else to get a deal done either. Malcolm Brogdon would be a good inclusion and would be fun next to Jrue, but his contract is expiring as well, so the odds of Milwaukee pulling off two sign-and-trades in one transaction would be pretty small.
Still, Milwaukee would probably drool at the chance of building a big three of Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Eric Bledsoe. The Bucks are already the best team in the Eastern Conference, and a move like this could solidify their place at the top for the next several seasons if they could get AD to buy in to their direction and re-sign next summer. But realistically, there are just too many weird variables with not enough assets to stockpile in order to consider the Bucks as major players in this whole situation.
#19 San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs already have two solid stars and could be looking to add a third in order to get them back into actual relevancy in the Western Conference. DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge are both great players, but they need another guy to go along with them in order for teams like the Warriors and Rockets to actually be afraid of them.
Assuming these two players are off limits (Aldridge is probably a bit too old for the Pelicans to want anyway), that leaves young prospects like Lonnie Walker, Dejounte Murray, and Derrick White to be the main pieces in a transaction like this. None of these names are super high profile, but all are guys 20-24 years old that could turn into great players for the New Orleans Pelicans. Add in several future first round picks, and there could be something here.
Gregg Popovich is the best coach in the NBA, and he’s got a history of getting the most out of the big men on his rosters. The Spurs might actually be able to get Davis to commit long-term if he values coaching and storied histories at all. He’d surely also see the obvious potential of a trio featuring him, DeRozan, and Aldridge.
#18 Cleveland Cavaliers
The odds of Cleveland jumping on the Anthony Davis offer train depend largely on the draft lottery Tuesday night. The Cavs have a 52% chance to select in the Top 4 of the draft, with a 14% chance to secure the #1 overall pick. If they land the #1, they’d probably hang onto the pick to draft Zion Williamson. However, if the pick is anywhere in the #2-#4 range, they could possibly be willing to package it with some players to try to get AD to Ohio.
So let’s say the Cavs end up with the #2 overall pick. This is the spot where most people are expecting Ja Morant, the point guard out of Murray State, to be selected. However, Cleveland took their point guard of the future last season when they selected Collin Sexton, so the Cavs might possibly be looking to get creative with this draft pick.
Kevin Love, multiple time all-star and former LeBron James right-hand man, seems like a likely candidate for Cleveland to add into the deal. Love and the #2 overall pick in the draft is pretty solid, and the Pelicans could also get the Cavs to add in young guys like Cedi Osman and Marquese Chriss to sweeten the deal.
#17 Miami Heat
Here we have a team that always seems to be linked to whatever big player is currently on the trade block. The Miami Heat have seemed pretty desperate to find someone else to lead the charge ever since LeBron James left them in order to return home to Cleveland and win a ring for his home state. Most recently, the Heat were one of the teams that seemed most likely to land Jimmy Butler in a trade before the 76ers ultimately wound up winning his services.
The Heat missed the playoffs this season, so they have a low lottery pick that they could combine with players like Josh Richardson and Bam Adebayo. These two players would likely be instant starters on this current Pelicans roster, so they would definitely have value in New Orleans. Richardson is a underrated scorer than can light it up on any given night.
Miami would have to pony up some serious draft assets in this deal as well, including their likely 13th pick in this year’s draft. Along with that, they probably need to ship away a couple more future first round picks and whatever other player the Pelican would want from them, possibly a Justise Winslow-type guy. The Heat would do a deal like this, and they’d feel good about the attraction of Miami winning AD over for the long-term, but New Orleans still can probably get a better package elsewhere.
#16 Washington Wizards
This is another team that has underachieved for a while now and is going to soon start selling pieces off in order to start over. Otto Porter was already the first casualty here as the Wizards shipped him off to Chicago near the trade deadline in exchange for Jabari Parker and Bobby Portis.
The duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal has been fun at times, but a disappointment overall. A lot of this is due to serious health concerns that have popped up for the team recently, mainly at the expense of John Wall, who will have missed more than an entire season of basketball before he’s able to return from his current ailments. And he might not ever be the same once he’s back.
Washington has a very enticing draft pick this season with current odds to select 6th once the draft lottery is all said and done. If the Wizards were willing to package this pick together with say Bradley Beal, the Pelicans would definitely have some interest there. In this scenario, New Orleans would possibly own back-to-back picks in the lottery at #6 and #7. You’d imagine Beal would slot into the backcourt with Jrue, so New Orleans could draft a wing like DeAndre Hunter and a big like Jaxson Hayes with these two picks and have a pretty exciting future on the horizon.
Similar to a team like the Grizzlies, we still aren’t totally clear on what Washington really wants to do with their future, which puts them a little low on this list despite some good trade assets.
#15 Orlando Magic
The Magic are a young, scrappy team that surprised a lot of people with their seventh-seeded playoff appearance this year. Orlando came out swinging in Game 1 of their matchup with the Toronto Raptors and stole a game away in dramatic fashion. While they obviously ultimately fell to Toronto, the Magic showed the world that they’re trending in the right direction and have a lot to improve on as they head into an important summer themselves.
Their lone all-star, Nikola Vucevic, is a free agent, so bringing him back to Disney World will be the team’s top priority. However, the Magic do kind of have a logjam in their frontcourt, so if they want to bring Vucevic back, it’s possible they might be willing to send a couple of young, promising big guys to New Orleans in order to secure a player of Davis’ caliber.
This potential trade would feature athletic freak Aaron Gordon of Slam Dunk Contest fame. While Gordon is known for his high flying play above the rim, he’s developed very nicely on both ends of the court in recent years and has really begun to round out his game. The Pelicans could also ask for young center Mo Bamba in a deal with Orlando along with their 16th overall pick for this year’s draft as well as some future compensation.
The Magic might want to give their young core some more time to gel and improve as-is, or they might be willing to take a gamble and add a superstar to get them to the next level.
#14 Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks have some exciting things going with the emergence of Luka Doncic along with the impending return of Kristaps Porzingis. However, playing in the Western Conference, Dallas understands that these two players alone are not enough to win a title, so they’ll need to add a third piece somehow as well.
They’ve been linked to Kemba Walker rumors and seem to be the team outside of Charlotte that could pursue his services the hardest, but there’s nothing to say they’re completely locked into Kemba as their #1 target this summer. Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, and Kristaps Porzingis would be very exciting to watch grow together, and Dallas would do whatever it takes to make that happen if it’s at all possible.
However, the Mavericks don’t have a ton of players to throw into a trade offer, and they might not even own a first round pick this season depending on how the lottery shakes out. If they want to retain Luka and Kristaps, they’d have to send over players like Tim Hardaway and Courtney Lee while giving New Orleans as much cap relief as possible and also including as many future draft assets as they’d be willing to give up.
This still isn’t enough for New Orleans, but Dallas is a bit higher on this list simply because they really seem like a team that could do some crazy things to acquire whatever is necessary to get enough assets to offer New Orleans. Also, on the off chance they’ll swap Luka for AD, they land on #14 in these rankings.
#13 Sacramento Kings
The Kings used to be the team from California that had the most weird, crazy rumors and reports almost constantly coming out of their organization. That title has since been passed onto the Los Angeles Lakers, but Sacramento can still surprise us now and then.
The Kings started off this season strong with their young core and were in playoff contention for quite awhile before the wheels finally came off and they began to slide back down the rankings. Still, this is a team that showed tons of potential and will be thought of as one of the nice surprises of the 2018-2019 campaign when we all look back on it.
A Kings/Pelicans trade for Anthony Davis would have to center around either De’Aaron Fox or Marvin Bagley, a couple of kids 21 years old or younger that the New Orleans Pelicans would be more than happy to take off their hands. However, the Kings likely wouldn’t include both, as they’d still want to pair one of them with AD in order to stay competitive next year.
New Orleans would ask for players like Bogdan Bogdanovic to be included, and maybe even try to secure the return of Buddy Hield to the Big Easy in order to get this deal done. Sacramento might not have a lottery pick this year, because as it stands, the pick actually belongs to Boston if the lottery odds hold true. Because of this, the Kings would have to ship over more key players than some of the other teams on this list since future draft assets are a bit uncertain.
#12 Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets admittedly do not have a ton that they could offer for Anthony Davis, but they’re another team like Dallas and Miami that always seems to be in play for the big stars and will do whatever it takes to get themselves in the running in the AD Sweepstakes.
Their season ended in a failure by their terms, as the team led by possible back-to-back MVP James Harden failed to even make it to the Western Conference Finals. Sure, they lost at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, but this really felt like Houston’s year to finally get by the Warriors, especially with the injury of Kevin Durant that kept him out of the latter part of the series.
Houston might be looking to shake things up in order to get Harden some more help, and AD would be the ultimate difference maker for them. The New Orleans Pelicans probably wouldn’t want Chris Paul back, especially with his age, injury concerns, and insane contract. Instead, the deal would center around Clint Capela, the young center with room to grow.
In addition to Capela, Houston would have to throw in absolutely everything else the Pelicans might demand. Future draft picks, any other young player on the roster, cap relief, cash considerations, and so on would have to be on the table for the Pelicans. On paper, there’s not a great offer here, but Houston would be willing to get very creative in order to make this work.
#11 Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are one of three teams this year with the best odds to secure the #1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft depending on how the ping pong balls fall in the draft lottery on Tuesday evening. Because of this alone, they slot in at #11 in these rankings, the final team outside of the top 10. The Suns haven’t really been linked to any Anthony Davis rumors to this point, so there’s no telling if they’d really be willing to include their extremely valuable first round pick in an offer for his services.
Deandre Ayton was who the Suns took #1 overall a season ago, and he’d be untouchable in negotiations. Likewise, prolific scoring guard Devin Booker would be very hard to pry away from Phoenix as well, especially if there’s fear that AD will bounce after just one season in Arizona.
Still, the idea of combining the forces of Davis, Ayton, and Booker could be very tempting for Phoenix, so don’t be shocked if post-lottery we begin to hear rumblings of them being willing to send New Orleans their first rounder along with players like Josh Jackson, Mikal Bridges, and TJ Warren. New Orleans could get a future cornerstone-type of player if Phoenix’s pick ends up Top 3 like it’s projected to be, so the Pelicans could have a lot to gain here.
#10 Brooklyn Nets
Without a doubt, the best feel-good story of the year was the Brooklyn Nets, a team that outplayed almost everyone’s preseason expectations on their way to a very entertaining first round loss in the playoffs to the Philadelphia 76ers, a formidable foe that’s still alive.
The Nets’ lone all-star and arguably most important player was D’Angelo Russell, the young guard that the Lakers once gave up on who is now flourishing in New York. He’s a restricted free agent this summer, so including him in any sort of AD trade gets too complicated and is unlikely to happen. Plus, Brooklyn probably wouldn’t be willing to trade him anyway.
Instead, the Nets have a bevy of other young players already with important postseason experience that they could offer the Pelicans. Jarrett Allen is only 21 years old and is already one of the best shot blockers in the league. He’s limited on the offensive end, but he’d be the new anchor for the Pelicans in the paint on defense.
The other two interesting guys here are Caris LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie, who are a couple of players that had fantastic seasons despite neither of them really being on anyone’s radar back in the fall. LeVert suffered a pretty serious injury this year, but he was still able to return before the playoffs and was a big difference maker in their series with Philly. All of these guys play with heart, which would be more than welcome in New Orleans.
#9 Atlanta Hawks
Let’s go ahead and assume the Atlanta Hawks wouldn’t want to trade away rookie phenom Trae Young for anyone this summer, let alone a guy that might not stick around more than a season. That’s disappointing, but understandable. Along with Luka Doncic, Trae Young is the other frontrunner to win Rookie of the Year this season, so it’s totally fair that the Hawks label him as 100% untouchable.
That’s fine, though. The Hawks still have plenty of other things they could offer the New Orleans Pelicans, starting with 21 year old big John Collins. He’s already shown off the springs in his legs in a Slam Dunk Contest, and Collins also clearly has the tools to keep developing into a very good player on both ends of the basketball court. He’d immediately plug into the void that Anthony Davis would leave in the Pelicans’ starting lineup, and he’d have a positive impact right away.
Aside from Collins, Atlanta could also offer players like Taurean Prince and Kevin Huerter to sweeten the deal. Both of these guys are young enough for the Pelicans to be interested in, and they had fine seasons in 2018-2019 that they’ll surely keep building on into the future.
The main asset they can combine with Collins, however, is their 2019 first round draft pick, which is currently projected to land at #5 pre-lottery. Again, this is the part of the draft where New Orleans could land a true difference maker they can lock up for a long time, so expect this to be a very promising offer if the Hawks decide to throw their hat into the ring.
#8 Philadelphia 76ers
New Philadelphia 76ers GM Elton Brand has already proven that he’s willing to wheel and deal in order to put the best possible roster on the court. This 76ers team looked a lot different before the season began, but then the two biggest trades in the NBA this season transpired, and Philly was involved in both. Landing Jimmy Butler followed by Tobias Harris via the trade market this year were huge moves, and they showed that Brand is willing to get crazy to make his team better in the immediate future.
The 76ers are still active in the playoffs, so it looks like these trades more-or-less worked out for the franchise this year. However, they do have some question marks heading into the summer, as several key players will enter free agency, including Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris. It’s possible they can retain both players, but it might be splashier to let one of them walk and make a deal for Anthony Davis instead to create the best frontcourt in the NBA with AD next to Joel Embiid.
A sign-and-trade for either Butler or Harris to New Orleans could be nice for the Pelicans, but the main asset that could get a deal like this to happen is none other than Ben Simmons, the incredibly versatile and unique point guard in a power forward’s body.
Sure, Simmons doesn’t have a jump shot, and he catches a lot of flack for that. But he’s absolutely incredible everywhere else. So good, in fact, that it somehow makes you overlook his lack of a shooting touch despite the importance of that skill for a guard in the modern NBA. He’s such a good cutter, passer, playmaker, and defender that the Pelicans would be frothing over him if the 76ers made him available in trade discussions.
#7 Chicago Bulls
Davis is from Chicago, so a reunion with the city he hails from could be an enticing possibility for the Bulls. Their last hometown hero Derrick Rose was great for the organization for a while before his well-documented and concerning injury history forced the team to finally let him go in a different direction.
In addition to the feel-good angle of sending AD back to his hometown, the Bulls really do own tons of young prospects and draft capital that could get a trade done. Currently, they find themselves projected to select 4th in the NBA Draft, so that pick obviously has tons of value that they could dangle in front of the Pelicans.
It’s not just draft assets that the Bulls could tempt the Pelicans with, however. Young studs Lauri Markkanen and Wendell Carter would be more than welcome in the Big Easy, along with whatever else the Bulls would be willing to throw in with them. At just 21 years old, Markkanen has a game that screams, “Dirk Nowitzki,” so acquiring a player like that for the foreseeable future along with a likely top 5 draft pick could be huge for the Pelicans.
The Bulls could feel pretty confident in their future too, assuming they’re able to use the hometown angle to get Davis to commit to the city longterm once this final year of his contract expires. Chicago actually could have a real chance here.
#6 Toronto Raptors
The current #2 seed in the playoffs with a chance to move onto the Eastern Conference Finals today, the Toronto Raptors are already built for success. However, that success currently is not really projected onto next season for the Raptors. With Kawhi Leonard likely opting out of his deal to test free agency, this team could fall off quickly if they don’t do something to keep their star north of the border.
A big part of winning Kawhi over for the Raptors will be proving to him that he can depend on the franchise being competitive for a long time to come. Adding a guy like AD to the roster alongside Kawhi would be incredible, and it could be a very difficult idea to walk away from for Leonard.
So what could the Raptors actually offer the Pelicans? Wings. Good, young, two-way wings. In today’s NBA, players like this have a ton of value, and Toronto has plenty to go around. Pascal Siakam is probably going to be the Most Improved Player of the Year this season, and he’d be the main focal point in this trade offer. He’s already incredible on defense with a solid offensive game to boot, and New Orleans would be thrilled to land him.
Other players Toronto could add in here would be fellow wings OG Anunoby, the scrappy defender, and Norman Powell, more of an offensive weapon than the other two players in the package. Throw in a draft asset or two, and this is a good deal for New Orleans that benefits both teams.
#5 Denver Nuggets
Another surprising team this year, the Denver Nuggets finished 2nd in the loaded Western Conference despite no one seeing that coming at all. The Nikola Jokic-led team from Colorado face Game 7 against the Portland Trail Blazers today, but no matter what happens, the Nuggets had a successful 2018-2019 season.
Part of what has gotten Denver this far is their depth. Because of this depth, they could make a very good offer for AD and still be ready to compete right off the bat. The Nuggets actually did inquire about Davis’ availability around the trade deadline, but the teams could not agree on an offer.
Still, Denver has plenty of young, promising players that they could essentially let New Orleans pick three of to package together for Anthony Davis. Players like Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Michael Porter, Malik Beasley, and Monte Morris would all be up for grabs, and any combination of these players could get New Orleans into good shape for the future.
If the Nuggets think they’re one piece away from being true contenders out west once their current season comes to a close, expect them to pick up the phone and ask about AD once again.
#4 Los Angeles Lakers
Well, well, well. Here we are once again, talking about the Los Angeles Lakers in relation to Anthony Davis. It feels just like old times. Truth be told, despite what transpired between the Lakers and Pelicans around the trade deadline, we know LA would still jump at the chance to put together a deal good enough for AD, and they shouldn’t be counted out of the running yet.
In fact, it’s been reported that some people within the Pelicans’ organization actually liked the Lakers’ offers and wish Dell Demps would’ve pulled a trigger on a trade before the deadline. Because of that, there’s definitely still a chance that these two teams could work out some sort of agreement that gets the deal done.
We’ve all heard plenty about the young prospects the Lakers would likely include here in order to get AD to Hollywood to team up with LeBron James. The package would feature players like Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Lonzo Ball, and the Lakers would still do a deal like this in a heartbeat for fear of not trying hard enough to add AD and then risking him not even giving them a meeting in free agency next summer, like what Paul George did to them in his similar situation.
It’s a much longer shot, but LeBron’s ties to New Orleans’ David Griffin could actually allow a LeBron for AD swap make some sense as well. Either way, the Lakers are a mess, and they have to do something to get themselves out of the gutter.
#3 Los Angeles Clippers
As the new kings of Los Angeles, the Clippers had a great season and surprised many by making a competitive first round playoff effort against the Golden State Warriors despite trading away Tobias Harris, their best player, to the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the season.
Many scratched their heads at the Harris trade, but what it did was set the Clippers up for a potentially enormous summer in 2019. They stockpiled tons of valuable draft assets and now own a slew of first round picks they could package together, including a very enticing future first round selection from the Miami Heat.
In addition to this, the Clippers could ship a player like Danilo Gallinari elsewhere and free enough enough cap space to sign or trade for two max-level players this summer. The speculation is that the team will go hard after Kawhi Leonard, so making a trade offer to secure AD to play with Kawhi could definitely be on the table as well.
Along with their awesome draft capital, the Clippers could send over 20 year old point guard of the future Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in order to win over the Pelicans, and possibly 25 year old Montrezl Harrell, who improved a lot this season.
The rumor was that AD wanted to get to Los Angeles to become a Laker, but it’s actually the Clippers with the brighter future and better trade package that could ultimately win him over.
#2 Boston Celtics
In what could be a shock here to some, the Boston Celtics actually clock in at #2 on this list of most likely teams to trade for AD. While they still will surely end up being one of the most rumored teams connected to Davis as we go forward, the team has a level of uncertainty to it after their disappointing 4-1 playoff series loss in round 2 at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks.
A lot of what direction the Celtics will go this summer depends on what Kyrie Irving ultimately decides to do with his possible impending free agency. Does he return to the Celtics for another shot at a deep playoff run, or is the situation already too toxic, prompting him to take his talents elsewhere?
If he leaves, the Celtics might be less inclined to make a deal for Davis. However, even without Kyrie, a team featuring AD, Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford, and Marcus Smart is still not a combination to take lightly, and they could be major players in the east regardless of what Irving ends up doing.
If Boston loses Kyrie, they’ll want to reload while hanging onto as many key players as possible. For the Pelicans, that’s okay. New Orleans would still ask for the coveted contract of Jayson Tatum, alongside up to FOUR first round draft picks in 2019 from the Celtics, depending on how the lottery shakes out. With some luck, the Pels could secure up to 3 total lotto picks in this draft, which sounds pretty nice when packaged along with Tatum.
#1 New York Knicks
Unlike the Celtics, the New York Knicks have no uncertainty going into the summer. The Knicks stink, and they want to improve. They have the practical cap space to do some crazy things this summer, and landing a superstar like Anthony Davis is at the top of their To-Do List. They’ve been linked to going after players like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, so imagine pairing one of those guys with AD. They’ll do whatever they can to make something like this happen.
For the Pelicans, there is plenty to like about a possible Knicks offer for AD. In fact, New Orleans has already begun gathering intel on Knicks’ rookie Knox, because it’s already apparently expected that New York is going to come calling about Davis very soon anyway. The Knicks also have some other young guys they could throw into the mix, including players like Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith, and Mitchell Robinson.
The obvious thing we haven’t touched on yet is New York’s 2019 first round draft pick, which would definitely be included in this deal as well. Like the Cavs and Suns, the Knicks also share the best odds of winning the #1 overall selection in the draft lottery, which translates directly to the addition of Zion Williamson to their roster. However, of these three teams, New York seems to be more willing than anyone to trade this pick away with their favorable cap situation leading them to an opportunity to win now if they can add the right players this summer.
Because of their assumed willingness to get crazy, and the Pelicans’ scouting of Kevin Knox that’s already begun, the New York Knicks now seem like the most likely team to make a trade for Anthony Davis.
It’s primed to be a crazy offseason as teams across the league pick up the phone to ask about the New Orleans Pelicans’ desires in an Anthony Davis trade. However, not all offers are created equally, and certain teams will understand that their current situations just aren’t conducive to taking on AD’s expiring contract. Look for the Knicks, Celtics, Clippers, and Lakers to continue to be the most likely options here, but anything can happen.