Rumor: Anthony Davis considering Pelicans, Lakers, Celtics, 76ers and Knicks

https://sports.yahoo.com/rumor-anthony-davis-considering-pelicans-010002174.html



Rumor: Anthony Davis considering Pelicans, Lakers, Celtics, 76ers and Knicks



Dan Feldman
NBC Sports•Oct 13, 2018, 3:00 AM




Asked about his future with the Pelicans, Anthony Davis said he’s focused on the upcoming season. I believe he’s sincere in his oft-stated stance: His preference is to win in New Orleans.

But what if Davis eventually feels he must choose between winning and the Pelicans? It’d be naïve to believe he hasn’t at least considered the possibilities.


Chris Sheridan of Get More Sports:

A source with intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the NBA told Get More Sports that Davis is considering five teams in the near and distant future: The Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers.

Give or take, these are the same teams that come up any time a star is in a small market – his incumbent team, the big-market teams and the best rising teams that still have significant salary-cap flexibility.

So, maybe Sheridan’s source is just supposing. But there’s also a reason these are the teams that always come up: They’re generally the most appealing. (A corollary: They’re also believable as the most appealing, so they can be useful for leverage, too.)

If Davis is at least assessing options, it matters who’s recruiting him and which teams have access to him through his agent (cough, Lakers, cough). Those small interactions can add up over time.

Of course, the Pelicans get the most direct access to him. He’s locked up for two more seasons, and if all goes well, he’ll stay in New Orleans longer on a super-max extension.

But the Pelicans will face threats from teams trying to poach him. Maybe the most serious suitors are beginning to crystalize.



bob
MY NOTE:  Davis is under firm contract until 2020-2021.  In July, 2021 he will be a UFA.  

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/anthony-davis-10809/

This means that, unless Davis is really unhappy in NOP, there is little-to-no incentive for them to trade him before 2020-2021 and they start getting concerned he'll leave and they'll get nothing for him.  That's 2 years from now.  Meaning...?  Heading into the 2020-2021 season, 2 years from now, LeBron will be 35 going on 36.  If the Lakers do not bring in another superstar to play alongside LeBron then the incentive for Davis to go there will be to play with Brandon Ingram (an underachiever to-date, but he's still young) and because it's LA-LA Land.  The Knicks?  Please.  And how will he play alongside Porzingis and Kanter?  Sixers?  Maybe, but they will already have two max contract players in Embiid and Simmons, with Saric and Fultz coming up for new contracts.  Also, they have to actually prove they are ready for prime time.  I don't think Davis will leave NOP for another team with "potential", he'll want to have some confidence that he's going to have a shot at a ring.  And finally, as far as the challengers to hometown favorite Nwalins go, to us.  Al Horford's last contract year will be 2019-2020.  He will be an UFA in July, 2020.  He will also be 34 years old.  Nobody will give him another monster contract, including Danny.  This frees up salary cap space.  Personally, I'm agreeing with Dan Feldman, I think Davis stays in NOP with a super-max contract, but timing is important and the combination of our talent, the youth of our talent and the opening up of a salary cap slot makes us more appealing than a team with an old 35 year old superstar, a team that can't get out of the first round of the playoffs, a team that hasn't done anything yet (although 2 years is a long time) and a perennial loser that already has two highly paid bigs. And the best part? Under my little fantasy we won't have to give up Tatum nor Brown, at least one of which would be part of NOP's asking price for Davis.



.

Looking two years up the road impossible to see it is, per Yoda.

Davis will leave NOLA. They are likely to remain a midlevel team or even worse.

I agree that he would only want to play for a contender.

They have done a terrible job of putting good pieces around him, I don’t see that changing, he will be due for a change of scenery