The Los Angeles Lakers have long been interested in trading for Pelicans star Anthony Davis. But for as long as those rumors have persisted several other big suitors have also been mentioned for Davis. Teams such as the Clippers, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics have always loomed large in a potential Davis trade.
But according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, there is yet another faction within the NBA that could affect the trade talks: teams in smaller markets or places Davis initially left off his list of preferred spots. According to Woj’s reporting, the success the Raptors have had after the risk they took to trade for Kawhi Leonard has emboldened those teams to get in the mix.
The success of the Kawhi Leonard rental in Toronto has also seemed to embolden factions of Davis’ nonpreferred and smaller-market destinations to probe New Orleans on trades, league sources said.
With the Raptors are one win away from an NBA championship, that final step may further embolden other squads to throw the kitchen sink at Davis. But winning a championship isn’t the only way to keep a star on a one-year deal. The Oklahoma City Thunder, for example, signed Paul George to a four-year deal last summer after going all-in for him the previous summer.
With the Pelicans looking to retrofit a playoff team on the fly, around Jrue Holiday and likely No. 1 pick Zion Williamson, the presence of other teams with proven talent is an interesting new variable in the Davis trade talks.
