Do you believe in miracles? Well, that’s what it might take to pry Anthony Davis away from the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Pelicans trading Davis before his contract expires in 2021 is “nothing more than a fantasy,” an NBA executive recently told The Ringer’s, Kevin O’Connor.
That’s disheartening news for teams like the Boston Celtics, who reportedly have tried to trade for the All-Star big man in the past. But that same executive believes it’s time for Boston to move on from the Davis “pipe dream.”
“Even if AD, who can opt out of his current contract in 2020, was eventually made available, by that point, Boston may not even have the most to offer,” O’Connor wrote Wednesday. “Boston shouldn’t wait on that pipe dream, the executive contended, and should pounce on the next good opportunity that comes.”
Davis insisted last week he plans on staying in New Orleans through his current contract, despite the team’s lack of success and poor luck with injuries.
So, what moves should the Celtics make if Davis is off the table? O’Connor suggests an offseason exploration of the restricted free agent market, where Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon and Milwaukee Bucks swingman Jabari Parker could be enticing targets if they don’t re-sign.
The C’s also have Gordon Hayward’s return to look forward to, so they might even opt to stand pat this offseason. But fans dreaming of a Kyrie Irving-Davis super-duo in Boston might want to wake up and smell the coffee.
