Since the successful acquisition of LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka revealed their plan to find their second superstar either via trade or free agency. The Lakers have a plethora of trade assets to engage in a blockbuster deal and expected to create enough salary cap space to chase the likes of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Jimmy Butler, Kemba Walker, DeMarcus Cousins, and Klay Thompson in the summer of 2019.
Recently, the Lakers’ top trade target Anthony Davis has informed the New Orleans Pelicans that he has no intention of signing the massive contract extension that they are planning to offer and wanted to be traded to a team where he can consistently win and contend for the NBA championship title. The Lakers are still not a legitimate title contender, but they would turn into one once Davis joined forces with the best basketball player on the planet, LeBron James, in Los Angeles.
As of now, the Pelicans don’t seem to be in a rush to trade Anthony Davis and could wait for the 2019 NBA offseason so the Boston Celtics, who are believed to be the team that can offer the best trade package, could join the bidding. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN , the Pelicans will only consider moving Davis before the February NBA trade deadline if they will receive an “overwhelming package.”
“The New Orleans Pelicans plan to listen to offers on All-NBA center Anthony Davis but won’t make a deal before next Thursday’s NBA trade deadline unless they’re offered an overwhelming package for the franchise’s star, league sources told ESPN.”
Yahoo Sources: Lakers and Knicks preparing an offer to Pelicans for star Anthony Davis and why Celtics aren’t a desired preference. https://t.co/f47Afbh3d0
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 28, 2019
Unlike when Paul George and Kawhi Leonard became available on the trading block and expressed their interest in playing for the Purple and Gold, it seems like the Lakers are now willing to go all-in and send an overwhelming trade package to the Pelicans just to acquire Anthony Davis. According to Chris Sheridan of Get More Sports , the Lakers are “prepared to surrender” Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Ivica Zubac, Josh Hart, and Kyle Kuzma in the potential deal with the Pelicans.
Even without the inclusion of first-round picks, trading Anthony Davis for a package including Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Ivica Zubac, Josh Hart, and Kyle Kuzma should be a no-brainer for the Pelicans. Acquiring those young players will save the Pelicans time in rebuilding their team. Some people may think that the offer is too much to give up, but it will definitely be worth it if it could help the Lakers hang another championship banner at Staples Center.
