New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis is currently the hottest commodity on the trade market. The 25-year-old center/power forward may already have given a list of his preferred trade destinations, but that doesn’t stop other NBA teams from engaging in trade discussions with the Pelicans.
In an appearance on ESPN 710 L.A. Radio, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst named the Denver Nuggets as one of the dark horse teams who could make a move for Anthony Davis before the February NBA trade deadline. Since the 2018 NBA offseason, Windhorst revealed that the Nuggets have been “dying” to acquire a legitimate NBA superstar to boost their chance of winning the 2019 NBA championship title.
“And Denver…Denver has a bunch of young assets. They have a mystery player in Michael Porter Jr. who, from all reports, is really recovering well from back surgery. Not to mention, they have some other good young players – Gary Harris, Jamal Murray. They could afford to give one or two of those players,” Windhorst said, as transcribed by SB Nation’s Denver Stiff . “The Nuggets have been dying to get a star player. They begged and begged to just get a meeting with LeBron [James]. This is the kind of thing that you build up your assets for.”
I wrote about Jayson Tatum being a key figure in the Anthony Davis sweepstakes. He’s what tips the scales in debating the Celtics vs. Lakers’ offers https://t.co/zFFVraLoOu
— Scott Davis (@WScottDavis) February 7, 2019
On Twitter , Brandon Robinson of Scoop B confirmed that the Nuggets really engaged in a trade negotiation with the Pelicans involving Anthony Davis. The Nuggets have reportedly offered a trade package including Michael Porter Jr., Gary Harris, and multiple first-round picks to the Pelicans for Davis. Unfortunately, the trade discussion between the Nuggets and the Pelicans didn’t seem to get serious.
It’s easy to understand why the Nuggets decided to try acquiring Anthony Davis from New Orleans. The Nuggets may currently have the second-best record in the deep Western Conference, but they obviously need more star power on their roster in order to have a strong chance of beating the reigning NBA champions, Golden State Warriors, in a best-of-seven series.
Anthony Davis will undeniably boost the Nuggets’ performance on both ends of the floor. This season, Davis is averaging 29.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.6 blocks, and 1.7 steals on 50.8 percent shooting from the field and 32.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Davis and Nikola Jokic will give the Nuggets the most formidable frontcourt duo in the league.
Michael Porter Jr., Gary Harris, and multiple first-round picks are indeed incredible acquisitions for the Pelicans, especially if they decide to undergo a full-scale rebuild. However, the Pelicans must be confident that they could get a better trade package by trading Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers or the Boston Celtics.
