According to New Orleans Pelicans rumors, the Boston Celtics might not offer much along with Jayson Tatum in exchange for Anthony Davis. Should David Griffin settle for a deal like this?
For the duration of the Anthony Davis trade demand saga, it’s been obviously through many New Orleans Pelicans rumors that second year wing Jayson Tatum from the Boston Celtics is the top target desired in the Big Easy.
However, according to a recent TV appearance from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Celtics might not be willing to include much else in a trade offer in addition to Jayson Tatum.
WOJ on Celtics/AD pic.twitter.com/Ry5nJ2JuK3
— John Ledesma (@JohnnyNBA) June 13, 2019
Essentially, Woj thinks the Celtics have two types of packages they’ll offer for Anthony Davis. Package #1 would center around Jayson Tatum and not much else. Package #2 would feature Jaylen Brown along with other smaller assets, such as first round picks or players not named Tatum. It’s unlikely that Boston offers up a deal that includes Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both, as much as the New Orleans Pelicans might like that.
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It makes sense why the Celtics might be a little cautious. For starters, it seems like Kyrie Irving might be on his way out of town. This might make Boston less optimistic about their outlook next season. Combine this with the statement from Anthony Davis’ agent Rich Paul in which he claimed his client would only be in Boston for one year if they trade for him, and things get more complicated.
Still, the one year rental thing worked out for Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors, and the Thunder were able to win over Paul George and signed him long-term after his one year trial run as well. It’s entirely possible the Celtics could have the same success with Anthony Davis if they take the gamble. However, it’s understandable if they aren’t quite willing to sell the entire farm for his services.
The question then becomes, “Is Jayson Tatum alone enough in return for Anthony Davis?” And that’s a difficult question to answer. To be sure, a potential Lakers’ offer featuring the #4 overall pick, Brandon Ingram, and Lonzo Ball definitely seems like a bigger haul on paper, but if the New Orleans Pelicans are confident that Tatum is head and shoulders better than these other assets, it might not matter what LA throws their way.
Woj thinks Tatum is the best possible player New Orleans could get back for AD, and David Griffin and the rest of the Pelicans’ front office seem to agree. The team is reportedly high on Brandon Ingram as well, but probably not quite as high as they are on Tatum. It will be interesting to see how the Pelicans view Quality vs. Quantity as they field AD offers over the coming days.
As always, keep checking in with Pelican Debrief as we keep you up to speed on all Anthony Davis/New Orleans Pelicans rumors. Could today be the day a deal is struck?