NBA Rumors: Celtics Remain As ‘Most Convenient’ Trade Destination For Anthony Davis, Per ‘Bleacher Report’
The departure of Kyrie Irving from the Boston Celtics has been one of the most talked about topics in the league since the 2018 NBA offseason. As of now, Irving and the Celtics are competing in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks, who currently hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The outcome of the 2018-19 NBA season will be vital as it could affect Irving’s decision in the 2019 NBA free agency.
In order to have a strong chance of convincing Kyrie Irving to stay long-term in Boston, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report suggested that the Celtics should land the “ideal sidekick” for the All-Star point guard – Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans. Davis has been the subject of trade rumors since he demanded a trade from the Pelicans before the February NBA trade deadline, and there were speculations that he and Irving dreamt of playing together in Boston.
As most people think, the Pelicans waited for the 2019 NBA offseason to move Anthony Davis so the Celtics could enter the bidding war. Though the Los Angeles Lakers are expected to make another explosive offer to the Pelicans, Favale revealed that the Celtics remain the “most convenient” trade destination for the All-Star center.
“No other team can offer the mishmash of high-end prospects, future picks, cost-controlled contracts and reasonably priced salary filler. Exact terms for prospective packages vary. The Celtics will not want to trade Jayson Tatum. They’ll probably have no choice. They certainly won’t want to ship out Jaylen Brown if Tatum is in play. His inclusion is more malleable. Boston has this year’s Los Angeles Clippers and Sacramento Kings (top-one protection) picks, and all its own future first-rounders to offset Brown’s or Tatum’s exclusion—provided other money is included to make the math work.”
So many Knicks scenarios in play https://t.co/lWdP0Nc5kS
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 6, 2019
After learning about the Lakers’ offer to the Pelicans before the February NBA trade deadline, Celtics President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Danny Ainge must be aware how much it will cost him to bring Anthony Davis to Boston. To convince the Pelicans to engage in a blockbuster deal, Favale believes that the Celtics will need to explore a trade package that includes Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, their own 2019 first-round pick, the Memphis Grizzlies’ 2019 first-round pick.
Trading players with lots of superstar potentials like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will definitely be worth it if it means acquiring the very talented Anthony Davis. The Celtics will be hitting two birds with one stone with the potential acquisition of Davis. Aside from having a legitimate NBA superstar who can boost their performance on both ends of the floor, the arrival of Davis will also prevent the departure of Irving from Boston next summer.
