NBA Trade Rumors: Warriors Remain Interested In Trading For Anthony Davis, According To ‘The Athletic’
In the past months, rumors and speculations continue to swirl that New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis will be available on the trade market this offseason. One of the NBA teams who are reportedly interested in trading for Davis is the Golden State Warriors.
Despite winning a back-to-back NBA championship title, the Warriors’ ownership remain interested in adding Anthony Davis to their team, according to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic (h/t Bleacher Report). Davis will immediately address Golden State’s weakness at the center position while keeping them as the No. 1 offensive team in the league. His addition to the Warriors will improve their defense, which currently sits at No. 8 tied with the Portland Trail Blazers (allowing 104.2 points per 100 possessions), and rebound rate, which ranks 11th (50.6), per ESPN.
However, as of now, it remains questionable if the Pelicans have any interest in moving Anthony Davis this offseason. According to Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report, acquiring Davis seems like a “pipe dream” for the Warriors. Golden State may have some intriguing trade assets to offer, but the Pelicans show no strong indication of making Davis available on the trading block anytime soon.
Despite losing DeMarcus Cousins in a season-ending injury, Davis helped the Pelicans earn a playoff spot in the Western Conference Playoffs where they upset and swept the No. 3 seed Portland Trail Blazers before falling into the hands of the Warriors in the second round. With their performance in the 2017-18 NBA season, the Pelicans are expected to prioritize surrounding Davis with quality players that can help them reach a higher level next season.
Warriors remain interested in acquiring Anthony Davis, per @timkawakami https://t.co/4sxC0GcQiQ pic.twitter.com/jk1w2txgLr
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 11, 2018
Though the Warriors remain interested in trading for Anthony Davis, Kawakami revealed that they are more focused on retaining their current core that helps them win the 2018 NBA championship title. According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Warriors’ owner Joe Lacob is planning to offer Klay Thompson and Draymond Green contract extensions this summer.
Thompson is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019, while Green is still under contract for the next two seasons. Knowing that the team wants to keep them longer is undeniably a nice thing to hear, but signing a contract extension won’t give Thompson and Green financial incentives. As of now, it is highly likely that both All-Stars will wait to become free agents before engaging in contract negotiations as it will enable them to earn $80-plus million more than what the Warriors could pay them this offseason.
