NBA Rumors: Hornets Could Trade Five Players And Two 1st-Round Picks For Anthony Davis, Per ‘Fansided’
Since the 2018 NBA offseason, rumors and speculation have continued to swirl that Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Hornets are headed into an inevitable divorce. Hornets General Manager Mitch Kupchak made it clear that they have no intention of moving Walker before the February NBA trade deadline. Kupchak said that they still see the All-Star point guard as the centerpiece of the title-contending team they are trying to build and revealed their plan to give him a long-term contract when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next July.
Kemba Walker has been impressive since the start of the 2018-19 NBA season, but he obviously needs help to make the Hornets the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference. To strengthen their chance of contending for the NBA championship and further convince Walker to stay in Charlotte, the Hornets should find a way to improve their roster. According to Fansided, the Hornets could target Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans.
“Imagine how devastating a Walker-Davis pick-and-roll would be with Holiday flanking them. Wouldn’t they immediately transform into the team nobody would want to see in the playoffs? That’s much more daunting than having a ceiling of the No. 6 seed and stealing two games in a first-round exit. Walker’s been an island unto himself for far too long. He’s done more with less than any other star in the league. It’d be great to finally see what he could do with more.”
Kevin Garnett believes Anthony Davis will ultimately play for the Lakers: "This is his time. It has to happen." https://t.co/ddcatTu3I7
— USA TODAY NBA (@usatodaynba) December 23, 2018
Anthony Davis has yet to become officially available on the trading block, but if the Pelicans finally decide to take a different route, the Hornets could throw in interesting trade assets that could help them speed up the rebuilding process. In a proposed trade deal by Fansided, the Hornets would send Miles Bridges, Malik Monk, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Frank Kaminsky, Bismack Biyombo, and two future first-round picks to New Orleans for Anthony Davis, Jrue Holiday, and Solomon Hill.
The trade would undeniably hurt the Hornets’ depth, but they would have a starting lineup that could compete against any powerhouse teams in the Eastern Conference. Aside from acquiring Anthony Davis, the Hornets would also receive a veteran guard who could form an explosive backcourt duo with Kemba Walker in Charlotte. Jrue Holiday is also playing the point guard position, like Walker. However, last season, when the Pelicans still had Rajon Rondo, Holiday proved his capability to efficiently play as a shooting guard.
