NBA Rumors: Pelicans Could Trade For John Wall To Convince Anthony Davis To Stay, Per ‘Bourbon Street Shots’
After struggling earlier in the 2018-19 NBA season, rumors and speculations started to swirl that the Washington Wizards will be making a huge roster shakeup before the February NBA trade deadline. After an altercation involving four players and Coach Scott Brooks, the Wizards have reportedly made every player on their roster, including superstars John Wall and Bradley Beal, available in trade discussions.
With his massive contract extension that is set to kick in next season, most people around the league believe that the Wizards will have a hard time finding a trade partner for John Wall. However, once the All-Star point guard becomes officially on the trading block, NBA teams who desperately need another superstar will surely consider making a move just to add him to their roster. According to Jason Calmes of Bourbon Street Shots, one of the potential suitors of Wall on the trade market is the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pelicans have been inconsistent with their performance since the 2018-19 NBA season started. As of now, they are on a four-game losing streak and sitting in the No. 14 spot in the Western Conference with a 15-19 record. Trading for another superstar makes a lot of sense for the Pelicans as the outcome of the 2018-19 NBA season could affect their chances of convincing Anthony Davis to sign a contract extension next summer.
“This season is likely Dell Demps final opportunity to convince Anthony Davis to sign with the team long term. As such, he should be as aggressive as possible to acquire another star to pair with his core of AD and Jrue. I don’t personally worry about the long-term concerns associated with Wall’s contract. Yes, of course, he will likely be greatly overpaid and if AD still chooses to leave, the Pels will still be burdened with his large contract. But Dell and this franchise has never shown any desire to do a 76ers style tear down.”
The Anthony Davis story also details why the Lakers might want to make an early push at least try to land him now, and details the LeBron-AD-Rich Paul dynamic that is a driving force behind all of this https://t.co/ycXhWGUcjc
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) December 26, 2018
Anthony Davis will surely love the idea of having John Wall on his team. Davis and Wall played for the University of Kentucky, and both were selected as the No. 1 overall pick in their respective draft classes. Despite his team’s struggle, Wall is still posting incredible numbers this season. In 31 games, the 28-year-old point guard is averaging 20.7 points, 8.7 assists, and 1.6 steals on 44.3 percent shooting from the field and 30.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
John Wall won’t have a hard time sharing the backcourt with Jrue Holiday as the latter can efficiently play at the shooting guard position. However, as of now, it remains a big question mark if the Pelicans have enough trade assets that can convince the Wizards to send Wall to New Orleans.
