Pelicans Reportedly Listening To Trade Calls For Anthony Davis
BOSTON (CBS) -- Let the madness begin. The New Orleans Pelicans are reportedly taking trade calls on superstar Anthony Davis.
The Summer of AD is officially underway, as Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin has started to listen to what other teams are willing to pony up for Davis, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Pelicans are hoping to convince Davis to keep calling the Smoothie King Center his home and take a contract extension. But he can opt out of his deal after the upcoming season, and already requested a trade once, prior to last year's trade deadline. Griffin and Davis met recently to hash things out, but it appears the Pelicans are ready to open the doors to the Davis market.
Suitors will soon start lining up to make their offers for Davis, a seven footer who can do just about everything on the floor, and the Pelicans should have their pick of enticing bounties to choose from. The Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets will be in the mix, with the Boston Celtics somewhere near the top in terms of having the best assets to offer New Orleans.
Danny Ainge has been enamored with Davis since he won a NCAA title at Kentucky, and can offer Griffin a package centered around Jayson Tatum, other young talent on the Boston roster, and future draft picks. Reports had Ainge wanting to pair Davis with Kyrie Irving, and now that it appears Irving will be playing elsewhere next season, we'll see if Ainge actually offers up that bounty now to New Orleans. Boston was not on Davis' initial wish list of destinations, so that could be one heck of a one-year gamble on Ainge's part.
The Pelicans don't have to trade Davis and could wait all the way until this season's trade deadline as they attempt to convince him to remain in New Orleans. But Davis' reported trade demand mid-season created quite the frenzy throughout the NBA, and this latest development should provide fuel for another one before the offseason officially begins.
