Anthony Davis Requests Trade
Anthony Davis, the New Orleans Pelicans superstar forward has handed in a trade request per Adrian Wojnarowski. The Pelicans are in the midst of a mediocre season that sees them at under .500 and currently out of the playoffs.
According to his agent, Davis who is averaging 29.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game wants to join a team who is in win now mode and will compete for championships in the near future if not right now.
In any deal for the All-NBA forward could hinge on his willingness to sign an extension upon moving to a new team, though reports on ESPN.com suggest that Davis would only be willing to re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Reports throughout the season have suggested that Magic Johnson and the Lakers have been considering making a run at Davis all season given the opportunity. These reports have also suggested that the Lakers would be willing to part with any of a number of assets as well as Draft Picks in order to get the All-NBA forward.
LeBron James has helped put the Lakers in the playoff hunt since his acquisition in the offseason. However, since his groin injury on Christmas Day, the Lakers have struggled to find consistency and have dropped out of the playoffs.
Davis could form the perfect one-two punch for the Los Angeles ball club as they look for a way to maintain their playoff push and having Davis could be vital for a run deep into the post season.
There is an interesting wrinkle in the Anthony Davis trade conversation, he is under contract until 2021 and so the Pelicans Front office have said they are in no rush to make a move before the trade deadline if the offer doesn’t match their valuation.
This statement could bring the Boston Celtics into play who are unable to make a trade offer for “The Brow” due to the Rose rule. If the Pelicans are able to hold onto their superstar Forward until the offseason reports on ESPN and NBA.com suggest that the Celtics are confident of landing their man.
Trading for Davis could provide vital for the future of the Celtics franchise as Kyrie Irving recently called for the team to add more veterans to help them make a run at the Championship. This coupled with his comments about being open to a reunion with James could push the Celtics to make an aggressive play for the Forward.
On the floor, Davis’ dominance inside and ability to stretch the floor could make for the perfect partner for Irving. Creating another focal point for the defence will open up the floor for both players who have proven to be elite scorers over their careers.
For now, it would seem that the Lakers are in pole position to acquire the Forward and improve their chances of making waves in the playoffs, if they are able to make it to the post season.
By Sonny Cohen