NBA Rumors: Nuggets Could Offer Five Players And Draft Pick For Anthony Davis, ‘Bleacher Report’ Suggests
New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis is currently one of the hottest commodities on the trade market. After failing to convince him to stay, Pelicans Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin has started listening to trade offers for the All-Star center. Several NBA teams have already expressed strong interest in acquiring Davis, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, and the New York Knicks.
As the 2019 NBA offseason goes deeper, more teams are expected to be added to the list of Anthony Davis’ potential suitors. The Denver Nuggets may be quiet on the trade market right now, but it definitely won’t be a surprise if they join the Davis sweepstakes. Though they aren’t the favorite landing spot, Preston Ellis of Bleacher Report believes that the Davis-to-Nuggets deal is a trade “that would terrify the NBA.”
Ellis thinks that Anthony Davis is the “ideal complement” to Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic. Davis may be a natural center like Jokic, but he can also efficiently play at the power forward position, as proven by games played with DeMarcus Cousins. As Ellis noted, playing together in one team will allow Davis and Jokic to address each other’s weaknesses.
“Jokic can create open looks and dictate the offense in a way in which Davis will thrive. Denver’s incumbent star can also punish the NBA’s big-bodied centers who Davis resists battling. The 6’10”, 253-pound AD can rim-protect and use his closing speed and length on the defensive end to forgive Jokic’s shortcomings there. And in the pick-and-roll, the two would be unstoppable. Adding Davis to the 24-year-old Jokic and 22-year-old Murray would create a threatening contender.”
New: Sources say the Celtics’ confidence in bringing back Kyrie Irving has eroded, but the Anthony Davis pursuit rolls on: https://t.co/0Ixb4bCH4R
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) June 14, 2019
The successful acquisition of Anthony Davis will enable the Nuggets’ to build one of the most formidable frontcourt duos in the league, which could give them a strong chance of winning the NBA championship title in the 2019-20 NBA season. Davis will tremendously improve the Nuggets’ performance on both ends of the floor, giving them another All-Star caliber big man who can knock down shots from beyond the arc. This season, the 26-year-old center/power forward averaged 25.9 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 1.6 steals on 51.7 percent shooting from the field and 33.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
In the proposed trade deal by Bleacher Report, the Nuggets will be sending Michael Porter Jr., Monte Morris, Malik Beasley, Will Barton, Mason Plumlee, and 2021 first-round pick to the Pelicans in exchange for Anthony Davis, Jahlil Okafor, and E’Twaun Moore. The deal will not only be beneficial for the Nuggets, but also for the Pelicans.
Though the Nuggets’ suggested offer doesn’t include an All-Star caliber player, it will give the Pelicans three young and promising talents — Michael Porter Jr., Monte Morris, and Malik Beasley — that could help them speed up the rebuilding process in the post-Anthony Davis era. Will Barton and Mason Plumlee may just be salary cap fillers, but they could still serve as great mentors to the Nuggets’ young core. Meanwhile, the 2021 first-round pick will enable the Nuggets to further improve their roster, or they could use it as a valuable trade asset if they ever decide to engage in a blockbuster trade in the near future.
