NBA Trade Rumors: Celtics, Warriors Could Pursue Pelicans’ Anthony Davis This Summer, ‘Metro USA’ Reports
After his recent incredible performances, New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis has become one of the top MVP candidates this season. Still, trade rumors would not let him go as the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors have emerged as the top two potential landing spots for the five-time NBA All-Star this summer, according to Metro USA’s Matt Burke.
Speculations abound that Davis might demand to be moved out of New Orleans as his desire to play for a title contender was recently made public. In an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols last month, the 25-year-old admitted that he was thinking about Kevin Garnett’s comments on regretting to not requesting a trade sooner out of Minnesota.
Davis said that it makes him “think” whether he was “following the same path,” but insists that he remains loyal to the Pelicans and he is completely on board to what the franchise is trying to achieve at the moment. He has led the Pelicans to only one playoff appearance so far in his six-season career despite producing Wilt Chamberlain-like numbers, Burke said.
The Celtics and Warriors would indeed provide Davis an almost indisputable path to the NBA Finals, especially if he was added to what the two teams have right now. Both teams are currently second seeds in their own conferences with only the Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets having better records respectively.
However, Burke noted that Boston might have to offer “literally the best trade package in pro basketball history” if they want to get Davis, which includes all of their available future draft picks, Al Horford, and either Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown.
Celtics president Danny Ainge has been known to pull off some of the most stunning offseason deals in the league, and so there are no clear indications what would the team’s front office actually decide to do this summer.
Meanwhile, the Warriors were linked to Davis as early as last January when The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami reported that the former Kentucky Wildcats star would be the defending champions’ “next great long-term acquisition target.”
Trading for Davis would most likely mean that the Warriors would have to give away some of their key players not named Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant. It is unclear, though, if the ballclub would make such a risk of blowing up their current championship team for the chance to acquire who many consider as one of the top five players in the game today.
