The New Orleans Pelicans are moving cautiously when it comes to trading Anthony Davis, and reportedly won’t pull the trigger on a deal unless they receive “an overwhelming package.”
Davis, 25, informed the team‘s brass that he won’t sign an extension this summer and would like to be moved.
ESPN story on New Orleans' trade deadline strategy with Anthony Davis and how the Lakers, Celtics and a long line of suitors fit into that framework. https://t.co/gkbykmFSKv
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 29, 2019
The Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks are among the teams expected to make an aggressive push to acquire AD.
Per ESPN:
Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka are planning to make an aggressive push to acquire Davis prior to the Feb. 7 trade deadline, armed with confidence that Davis wants to play for the Lakers and would sign an extension, league sources said.
After agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports told ESPN on Monday that he had informed the Pelicans that Davis wouldn’t sign an extension this summer and wanted a trade, multiple league sources expect the agent and star to soon deliver word throughout the league that Davis’ preferred destination is the Lakers and he’ll become a rental player until 2020 with a trade anywhere else.
[Celtics] GM Danny Ainge is undeterred on making a trade for Davis, even without an assurance that Davis would agree to an extension with the Celtics, league sources said. Boston has been calling New Orleans for the past year-plus on Davis, and has gathered multiple first-round picks and young players to include in a package for him. Davis has a strong relationship with [Kyrie] Irving, and Boston knows that trading for Davis would assuredly perish any possibility of Irving changing his mind and leaving the Celtics in free agency this summer.
