The New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are among the four teams that have inquired about a trade for Anthony Davis.
Big things will be heating up in the NBA this summer with numerous superstar free agents available. However, one of the bigger stories this offseason will be where New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis ends up. He won’t be a free agent, but numerous teams will look to trade for the big man. Davis has also made it known that he wants out of New Orleans.
Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN on Monday, four teams have inquired the Pelicans about a trade for Davis—the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers, along with the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets.
According to Wojnarowski, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin would want picks in this year’s NBA draft. This is good for the Knicks, who have the No. 3 overall pick. New York could possibly ship that No. 3 pick and a player for Davis. The Pelicans would then have the Nos. 1 and 3 overall picks and could look to rebuild immediately after Davis is gone.
“Griffin has offered teams no firm timetable on needing a completed deal,” wrote Wojnarowski. “but he has indicated that he prefers the acquisition of 2019 draft picks be completed days prior to the June 20 event in Brooklyn, league sources said. This gives the Pelicans a chance to meet and more closely examine draft candidates slotted in the vicinity of picks potentially traded to New Orleans.”
Brooklyn currently has the No. 27 overall pick in the first round, but have some more talent on their current roster that they could offer. Wojnarowski also reports that the Pelicans are interested in bringing in an All-Star talent, a young player, and draft picks.
“Griffin is pursuing a combination of assets that include an All-Star player, a young player with All-Star potential and two first-round picks, league sources said,” wrote Wojnarowski. “Those wants are on a sliding scale. For example, the better the player, the softer the requests on the draft picks — and vice versa.”
The need to include an All-Star in a trade means that the Knicks will have to seek out a third team. That always complicates the process, but it hardly makes a Davis trade impossible. For the Nets, how much New Orleans values D’Angelo Russell could be the deciding factor in a potential deal.
The Anthony Davis saga will likely be the first major domino to fall this offseason.
