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"Anthony Davis has some interest in playing for the Knicks. It's not Lakers or bust," ESPN's Brian Windhorst told Max Kellerman on Get Up!
- NBA agent Rich Paul informed the New Orleans Pelicans that Anthony Davis does not intend to extend his contract with the struggling franchise and has requested a trade.
- The Lakers and Celtics have long been seen as the frontrunners to land Davis, but ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Monday that the New York Knicks could be a serious contender for the All-NBA forward and five-time All-Star's services.
- While Davis still has more than a year remaining on his current contract, the Pelicans have an incentive to get the best possible package for their star before he walks away.
- The Knicks may be able to offer a winning deal if they are willing to part ways with their 2019 NBA Draft first-round pick, which may hold the key to acquiring Duke stars Zion Williamson or RJ Barrett.
The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers have been dominating the conversation to land superstar big man Anthony Davis for months, but a different marquee franchise may be jumping in on the action now that Davis has requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Read more: Anthony Davis tells Pelicans he wants to be traded
In an appearance on ESPN's Get Up!, Brian Windhorst reported that the New York Knicks are "in the game" for Davis' services.
"If I am the New York Knicks, I am convening a meeting this morning," Windhorst said. "Anthony Davis has some interest in playing for the Knicks. It's not Lakers or bust."
Monday morning, Davis' agent, Rich Paul, informed New Orleans that the All-NBA forward and five-time All-Star does not intend to extend his contract with the struggling franchise and has requested a trade. Although Davis still has over a year remaining on his current contract, the Pelicans are now hard-pressed to get the best package for their star before he walks away.
While the Lakers and Celtics have long been the frontrunners to land Davis, the Knicks have one thing that neither Los Angeles nor Boston can offer.
"The New York Knicks need to decide whether they would be willing to make their No. 1 pick unprotected this year available," Windhorst said. "If they would, I believe they could put together a competitive offer that would help the Pelicans do a rebuild, and they could get their hands on Anthony Davis in the next 10 days."
The Knicks may be willing to go all-in on Davis with the hopes that he'll sign an extension with the team and attract other big-name stars to Madison Square Garden. And according to Windhorst, New York may be one of a handful of cities where Davis would be willing to commit to long term.
"It would be a huge decision, but I think New York would be one of the few teams Anthony Davis would be willing to sign an extension with," Windhorst said. "They are sort of the quiet lurker here. Yeah, the Lakers are going to make their offer, but boy I think the Knicks are in the game."
The Pelicans may choose to deal Davis away before the February 7 trade deadline, but doing so would prevent the Celtics from getting involved in trade discussions. League rules prevent NBA franchises from adding two players who signed designated player extensions to the same roster, and both Davis and star point guard Kyrie Irving are currently on "Rose rule extensions." The Lakers, meanwhile, would love to pair Davis with LeBron James but may not have enough young pieces to entice New Orleans into an early trade.
With an abysmal 10-38 record on the season, the Knicks are widely expected to have one of the top picks in the 2019 NBA Draft. With New York in play for Duke stars Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett, the Pelicans could wind up with a future superstar and their choice of the many young players who are currently with the Knicks. Players like 2018 first-round pick Kevin Knox and 2017 first-round pick Frank Ntilikina could make for solid trade bait for a franchise looking to rebuild. Likewise, Allonzo Trier, Luke Kornet, and Mitchell Robinson are all under-the-radar first-year players brimming with potential. On top of that, New York recently placed Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, and Enes Kanter on the trading block.