The bad blood between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans could give the New York Knicks the inside track to Anthony Davis.
The Anthony Davis saga started with a trade request and the end is nowhere in sight. The New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers have all been linked to the superstar big man.
However, recent reports suggest that Pelicans owner Gayle Benson won’t make a deal with the Lakers under any circumstances. Jackie MacMullan of ESPN appeared on the Hoop Collective podcast to discuss the feeling in New Orleans. MacMullan said:
“We have been told, I think, through channels – most of us have heard this same scuttlebutt – that Gayle Benson has basically told him, ‘To the Lakers, over my dead body.'”
Benson told Fletcher Mackel of NBC NOLA that this report is “totally absurd” and “completely untrue.” Of course, it doesn’t benefit the Pelicans for the rest of the league to know that they won’t make a trade with the Lakers.
That being said, the Pelicans have a valid reason to hold some resentment towards Los Angeles. Davis’ initial trade request was seen as a move to try and pressure the Pelicans to make a deal with the Lakers. Davis and LeBron James are both represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group.
If the Pelicans won’t engage with the Lakers, that provides the Knicks with an opportunity to pounce. Davis has stated that he would consider signing with New York long-term. The Knicks will continue to monitor Davis’ situation as the draft approaches.
