Anthony Davis is going to get his wish, he might just have to wait.
Davis has made it clear to the Pelicans he has no intention of re-signing with New Orleans once his current contract expires. As such, the star big man has become the hottest commodity on the trade block, but it remains to be seen when Davis will get dealt.
The Los Angeles Lakers likely are hoping it’s sooner rather than later. The Lakers currently appear to be the strongest in pursuit of Davis, but it doesn’t seem as though the Pelicans are thrilled with any offers they’ve received from Magic Johnson and Co. New Orleans in all likelihood will wait until the offseason to deal the 25-year-old, and it appears the franchise has its eyes on a budding star as a potential new cornerstone.
The Boston Celtics are prohibited from making an in-season trade for Davis under the NBA’s Rose Rule. The Lakers, meanwhile, have until the Feb. 7 trade deadline to strike a deal for The Brow. But if Danny Ainge gets his reported wish, the C’s will get a fair shake in the Davis sweepstakes.
Jayson Tatum arguably is the most coveted asset between the Celtics and Lakers, so Boston might have the upper hand in early negotiations. But getting AD to re-sign is a whole separate battle, and he reportedly isn’t interested in signing on for the long haul with the Celtics. Perhaps that will change if Kyrie Irving re-ups with Boston like he says he plans to.
The Pelicans obviously have a winning lottery ticket when it comes to Davis. Now all that’s left to do is to figure out the best way to cash in.
