The Los Angeles Lakers have wanted to trade for Anthony Davis since he requested a trade at the end of January. Now, according to a new report, they’re “making progress” toward turning the deal into a reality.
Per a notes column by Ian Bagley of SNY.tv , the Lakers have “made progress towards completing a multi-team deal” for Davis, although it’s unclear what players would be going back to New Orleans in such a deal, or whether a third team is involved.
In the same story, Bagley reported that some front office personnel with the New York Knicks would be willing to dole out a max extension to Kevin Durant, despite his likely Achilles injury in the NBA Finals on Tuesday night. The Knicks are still interested in giving Durant many years at top dollar, even if he were likely to miss a large chunk of next season.
On the Davis front, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, per The Inquisitr , said on a Tuesday night draft special that the Lakers would be “in trouble” if they failed to swing a trade for Davis by the NBA Draft on Thursday night and instead used their fourth overall pick on a player.
That’s because, in the top NBA reporter’s view, none of the top free agents available this off-season are likely to sign with the Lakers. Moreover, a trade for Davis, using that draft pick in addition to players, would be Los Angeles’ only hope this off-season to land a superstar to pair with James.
Imagine IF:
Anthony Davis gets traded to the Lakers, signs a long term-deal next summer with LA.
Lakers land another star (Butler or Kyrie).
LeBron and the Lakers three-peat, LeBron retires with six rings, and the Lakers hold the record for most championship in NBA history. pic.twitter.com/FrOuORpFG3
— Sports Notes (@TheSportsNotes) June 10, 2019
Per The Inquisitr, Rich Paul, the agent for both Davis and Lebron James, said in a Sports Illustrated interview published Wednesday that he had warned the Boston Celtics that if they traded for Davis, he would be unlikely to sign an extension with them.
“They can trade for him, but it’ll be for one year,” Paul said in the interview. “I mean: If the Celtics traded for Anthony Davis, we would go there and we would abide by our contractual [obligations] and we would go into free agency in 2020.”
Davis is said to be more interested in making a long-term commitment to the Knicks or Lakers, although Paul indicated in the interview that Davis plans to test the free agent market in 2020 no matter what. The Knicks and Lakers, as well as the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers, have reportedly already inquired with New Orleans about a trade for the big man.
