The Lakers and Celtics are both in the race for Anthony Davis, but it could become a complex waiting game
- NBA teams are in a race to get Anthony Davis, the next big superstar who could be available.
- Davis can become a free agent in 2020 and is eligible for a five-year, $235 million "supermax contract" from the New Orleans Pelicans.
- If Davis turns it down, the Pelicans may have to consider trading him.
- The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are both considered strong suitors for Davis, but there are obstacles in the way, including an obscure NBA rule and the Pelicans themselves.
- The saga is just beginning and could play out for a long time.
The entire NBA has long been waiting for the Anthony Davis race to begin, and LeBron James may have unofficially kicked it off on Tuesday.
Before the Los Angeles Lakers played the Brooklyn Nets, James said it would be "amazing" if the Lakers landed Davis.
With Davis eligible to become a free agent in 2020, the league is circling, waiting to see if the New Orleans Pelicans will move their star big man if they feel they can't re-sign him. The Lakers are just one of several teams to be linked to Davis, either by trade or in free agency in 2020. The Boston Celtics are another.
But the pursuit of Davis is a complex one, and it may become a waiting game - one much of the league hinges on.
The Pelicans haven't given up on Anthony Davis
Davis won't hit the trade block right away for a simple reason: the Pelicans don't want to just get rid of their franchise player.
Davis is one of the true superstars in the league - a two-way force averaging 28 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and 2 blocks per game who's just hitting his prime.
The Pelicans are also hoping they can go on another second-half surge like they did last year, win a playoff series or two, and convince Davis that they're close to contending for a championship. The idea of joining a better team (and perhaps a bigger market than New Orleans) are the two most-cited reasons why Davis would leave the Pelicans.
So, the Pelicans won't just give him up.
But what if Davis turns down that extension? It would signal to the rest of the league that Davis is eyeing an exit, and the Pelicans would likely be forced to consider trade scenarios.
The Celtics can't trade for Davis - yet
If the Pelicans wait to listen to trade offers until the summer, it could benefit the Celtics and hurt the Lakers.
A little-known NBA rule prevents the Celtics from trading for Davis this season. NBA teams are prohibited from trading for two "designated" players (a reference to their contracts). The Celtics already have one in Kyrie Irving, and Davis is on a "designated" contract now. Irving is eligible to become a free agent this summer and assuming he opts out, his "designated" contract will have expired. Only then could the Celtics trade for Davis.
That could hurt the Lakers. Right now, the Lakers have several intriguing young players, all of their draft picks, and the salaries to make a deal for Davis. But their offer could be trumped by the Celtics who have better young players and a surplus of future draft picks.
There are two sides to that, however. If the Pelicans wait until this summer to engage in trade talks, the offers may still not be what they would want in return.
Davis can become a free agent in 2020. If the Pelicans don't explore trades for him until the summer of 2019, Davis will only have one year left on his deal. How much will teams give up for a player who could potentially leave after one season?
A player of Davis' caliber has not hit the trade block in recent years. But between Paul George, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, and Jimmy Butler, we've seen four superstar players who fetched good-but-not-great returns, because, in large part, they were headed toward free agency (Irving had two years left on his deal).
It's worked out in some cases - George re-signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Irving seems destined to stay with the Celtics. Rumors indicate Butler will re-sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. Nobody knows what Kawhi Leonard will do.
If the Pelicans were to shop Davis now, the return would be higher, as teams would give up significant assets for a year-and-a-half with one of the true difference-making players in the league.
What would the Pelicans want in return?
The Lakers and Celtics are two common trade destinations for Davis because the situations make sense for all parties.
Take a potential trade with the Celtics, for example. Boston could offer a package including Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Semi Ojeleye, and future draft picks.
New Orleans would get a fresh start with young, talented players and draft picks with which to rebuild.
It's unclear if that would interest the Pelicans. When the Spurs, Pacers, and Wolves traded their star players, they did not land particularly high draft picks in return. Instead, those teams got established players like DeMar DeRozan (Spurs), Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis (Pacers), or Robert Covington and Dario Saric (Wolves).
That leaves an open space where other teams could jump in the race for Davis. What if a team stocked with solid, rotation-worthy players jumps in the mix - like the Los Angeles Clippers or Denver Nuggets? Again, whether such trades would be in the Pelicans' long-term interest is debatable, but it could be the route the Pelicans go.
James' remarks on Tuesday may have been one of the first times an opponent has made it clear that Davis is a target for other teams. Now the race should only get bigger and louder in the coming months.
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