Anthony Davis on LeBron James Comments, Lakers Link: 'I Don't Really Care'
New Orleans Pelicans big man Anthony Davis isn't focused on LeBron James' desire to play with him one day.
"I don't really care," Davis told Zach Lowe of ESPN.com following Wednesday's 123-115 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. "Obviously it's cool to hear any high-caliber player say they want to play with me. But my job is to turn this team around. If we're 15-17, that means I'm not doing my job."
Davis was responding to James' declaration Tuesday that it would be "amazing" if the Los Angeles Lakers traded for him, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com.
Davis has a player option in his contract for the 2020-21 campaign and could hit the open market following next season, although Lowe noted the Pelicans can offer him a five-year, $239 million supermax extension during the upcoming offseason in an attempt to convince him to stay put.
"If Davis turns down that supermax in July, it will be a devastating blow to the Pelicans—a signal Davis might be likely to leave in free agency," Lowe wrote. "They would have almost no choice but to open trade talks."
Davis has established himself as one of the best players in the league since the Pelicans selected him with the No. 1 pick in 2012 out of Kentucky. However, they have made the playoffs just twice and won one postseason series since he arrived and have been unable to surround him with enough talent to contend for titles.
New Orleans fell to 15-17 and 4-12 away from home with Wednesday's loss and is tied for 12th in the Western Conference, two games behind the San Antonio Spurs for the No. 8 seed. The Pelicans don't look like a playoff team, let alone a squad that is going to challenge the Golden State Warriors or Lakers in a postseason series.
Marc Stein of the New York Times noted that the Lakers "dream of beating out Boston's well-chronicled treasure trove of trade assets" to acquire Davis.
The combination of James and Davis would be unfair to defend. They could work in pick-and-rolls with their finishing prowess at the rim and James' passing ability, along with pick-and-pops thanks to Davis' soft touch and ability to take advantage of openings created by the defensive attention the four-time MVP attracts.
Chris Bosh is the only other big man James has played with who is close to Davis from a talent perspective, but that hasn't stopped James from reaching the NBA Finals the last eight seasons.
Chatter about the Lakers and Davis isn't going to go away, especially since they play each other Friday.
