New Orleans Pelicans ‘determined’ to keep Davis, are not talking trade with other teams

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2019/05/anthony-davis-rumors-new-orleans-pelicans-determined-to-keep-davis-are-not-talking-trade-with-other-teams-report.html



Anthony Davis rumors: New Orleans Pelicans ‘determined’ to keep Davis, are not talking trade with other teams




Today 4:44 PM




By John Karalis | JKaralis@masslive.com




A worst-case scenario for the Boston Celtics may be materializing.

The New Orleans Pelicans, armed with the top overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft, are reportedly so focused on keeping their star and pairing him with Duke’s Zion Williamson that they have not yet begun discussing the possibility of a trade with any potential suitors.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports “New Orleans could have eager trade suitors with the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks should Griffin engage trade talks, but so far that hasn’t happened, sources said. Griffin has been determined to make a case to Davis over time."


Davis and team Executive Vice President David Griffin met today in Los Angeles to discuss their future, and are apparently planning on meeting again to continue the talks.

Danny Ainge has long coveted Davis, and has positioned his Boston Celtics to offer the Pelicans one of the top packages of young players and picks in a trade. However, the draft lottery dealt Ainge and Boston a bad hand when New Orleans won the top pick.

Prevailing wisdom going into the lottery was that the winner would have the upper hand in the Davis sweepstakes. That might still be true, but it’s not the way anyone expected it to happen. Suddenly, keeping Anthony Davis and selling him on the team’s future seems to be a viable option.


It’s not just getting Williamson that will sell Davis on New Orleans. Griffin has remade the the team’s front office, poaching Trajan Langdon from the Brooklyn Nets to be the team’s General Manager. He hired away the head of the Phoenix Suns fabled training staff, Aaron Nelson, to address the serious issue of the Pelicans sharing a training staff with the New Orleans Saints. Griffin has also upgraded the team’s practice facility.

All of these address key reasons for Davis wanting out. Unless Davis is so turned off by New Orleans that he is willing to pass on a five-year, $235 million supermax contract, the Pelicans might actually have a shot at keeping Davis.


This is a worst-case scenario for Boston. Trading for Davis has been seen as the key to locking in Kyrie Irving’s return. If Davis is suddenly not available, Ainge will have to sell Irving on whatever backup plans he might have.

Davis might still eventually want out, but it’s clear New Orleans’ “Plan A” is to keep their current star and pair him with Zion Williamson, and hope that combination, along with Jrue Holiday, can make serious noise in the Western Conference.



bob


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Sinus

Everybody seems to come up with a worse case scenario.

As if the Celtics very existence depends on one thing or another.

I am pretty certain that Danny has more than a Plan A, B, C or D

At least this is the rare rumor story that makes sense. Would you want to trade Davis if you were about to draft Zion?

The statement about it being a worst case scenario for the Celtics makes no sense, however.

If money is a concern he should stay put

Davis is eligible to sign a five-year, $235.5 million supermax contract extension on July 1.

sinus007 wrote:Hi,
I don't understand why "this is a worst-case scenario for Boston"?
If because KI won't return, then I can argue that if he stays it could be repetition of the last season when a lot of Celtics parts didn't click together, so this could be worst-case scenario.
Continuing on this thought, I wonder if the best-case scenario could be no AD, no KI, add a good PG and try again...

AK

That’s currently where I am on this. If traded for AD is a risk not to stay with the team and if re-signed Kyrie is a risk of throwing away the playoffs like he did a few weeks ago. It may be less risky developing the young players we have, continuing the rehab of Hayward, re-signing Horford, and targeting a vet point guard like Isaiah Thomas or Patrick Beverley to share PG minutes with Smart.

dboss wrote:If money is a concern he should stay put

Davis is eligible to sign a five-year, $235.5 million supermax contract extension on July 1.

I recently read that Davis was not eligible for the supermax. Something about him missing one of the qualifiers. I'm at work. Maybe I can look into it when I get back to my hotel tonight.

gyso wrote:

dboss wrote:If money is a concern he should stay put

Davis is eligible to sign a five-year, $235.5 million supermax contract extension on July 1.

I recently read that Davis was not eligible for the supermax.  Something about him missing one of the qualifiers.  I'm at work.  Maybe I can look into it when I get back to my hotel tonight.

gyso

I think your are right.

For a player to qualify, he must make one of the three all-NBA teams or win defensive player of the year or MVP the season before he is offered an extension. Or he must meet one of those criteria in two of the prior three seasons or have won MVP in one of the three prior seasons.Dec 21, 2018

I think he made 1st team all NBA 2017 and 2018 so I think he does qualify

dboss wrote:For a player to qualify, he must make one of the three all-NBA teams or win defensive player of the year or MVP the season before he is offered an extension. Or he must meet one of those criteria in two of the prior three seasons or have won MVP in one of the three prior seasons.Dec 21, 2018

I think he made 1st team all NBA 2017 and 2018 so I think he does qualify

dboss,

I think you are right.  

Now, he loses the supermax if he gets traded.

The article I read said that regular $150M contract and a winning team brings more happiness to these guys than supermax $220M contract and not making the playoffs ever.