NBA Rumors: Anthony Davis Thought He ‘Could Definitely Be Part Of’ Knicks Last Summer
When he expressed his desire to leave the New Orleans Pelicans last season, All-Star center Anthony Davis became one of the most coveted superstars on the trade market in the summer of 2019. Before the Pelicans officially agreed to trade him to the Los Angeles Lakers, Davis was linked to several NBA teams, including the New York Knicks. In a recent appearance on WFAN’s Boomer and Gio show, Davis revealed that the Knicks made the final cut of his list of preferred trade destinations last offseason.
“Every team was on my list at the time, and then I kind of cut it down, and they were one of the ones that made the final cut,” Davis said, as quoted by SportsNet New York. “I talked to some guys over there who were still there, and I feel like playing for an organization like that, especially New York, it’d be something that I was always interested in. You see [Carmelo Anthony] was there and the history that the Knicks have and a historical franchise it is, I thought it was something I could definitely be a part of.”
During the 2019 NBA offseason, the Knicks were indeed a major threat to the Lakers in their pursuit of Davis. The Knicks entered the summer of 2019 with a plethora of trade assets. When the 2018-19 NBA season officially came to an end, Knicks owner James Dolan proudly said that multiple NBA superstars would be coming to New York, hinting at the possibility that they would go all-in for the likes of Davis.
Like the Lakers, the Knicks were considered as one of the few NBA teams where Davis would consider staying long-term. Unfortunately, when the Pelicans resumed trade negotiations, the Knicks reportedly didn’t make the necessary offer to acquire Davis. During that time, the Knicks believed that trading for Davis would go against their long-term rebuilding plan.
After deciding not to go after Davis, the Knicks took another huge blow in the 2019 NBA free agency when they failed to sign their top targets, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who decided to sign with the other NBA team situated in New York, the Brooklyn Nets. With their roster currently consisting of young talents and veteran role players, it’s not a surprise that Knicks are struggling to win games in the 2019-20 NBA season.
As of now, the Knicks are sitting at the No. 14 spot in the Eastern Conference with a 7-21 record. When the 2019-20 NBA season is over, the Knicks may have the opportunity to chase Davis in the 2020 NBA free agency period. However, it remains a big question mark if Davis would really consider leaving his current situation in Los Angeles to fix the huge mess in New York.
