NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on Potential Deals Before All-Star Weekend
No league does drama quite like the NBA on a regular basis, and the trade deadline on Feb. 7 only doubles the spectacle. Add in the surprising development that New Orleans Pelicans star center Anthony Davis wants to be traded, and you have everybody constantly refreshing their feeds.
The Brow spoke publicly on Friday for the first time regarding his trade request. When asked why he wishes to be traded from New Orleans, Davis said the following, according to ESPN:
"I feel like it's my time. I gave the city, organization, fans everything I feel like I could. ... I don't know how long I'm gonna play this game. People's careers are short. And I feel like it's my time to move on. ... I'm all about legacy. The money comes and goes. And when I get done playing or leave this earth, what is my legacy gonna be?"
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According to Andrew Lopez of The Times-Picayune, Davis also expressed that he and his team never intended for his trade request to go public. That comment directly conflicts ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski's original report that Rich Paul, Davis' manager, told ESPN about Davis' desire to be traded.
Regardless of those semantics, it's all out there now—free to be speculated on.
What is Davis' probability to become a Los Angeles Laker before the deadline? Plus, what other player are the Lakers targeting? Who do the Pelicans want to make sure to hold on to? Outside of L.A. and New Orleans, what's going on with the Memphis Grizzles' firesale?
Dig in below.
Anthony Davis
The only team Davis has been linked to with any real relevance since his trade request on Jan. 28 is the Lakers. The first link existed before Davis' trade request because he is managed by Paul and Klutch Sports, which is associated with LeBron James.
When the Pelicans played the Lakers at L.A. in late December, Davis and James reportedly had dinner together. James also told ESPN's Dave McMenamin that it "would be amazing" for the Lakers to get Davis. Following that, the NBA issued a league-wide memo as a reminder of the tampering rule.
The NBA has again intervened by fining Davis $50,000 for publicly demanding a trade, per Shams Charania.
Even so, the Lakers are reportedly persisting in trying to acquire the six-time All-Star.
Tania Ganguli and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times are reporting that the Lakers have sent five offers to the Pelicans with the Pelicans not responding to any of them. That may change this week, though:
"The Pelicans are considering making a counter offer that would ask for two first-round picks and add a Pelicans player to the deal, according to people with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter."
Turner relayed on Thursday that "no Lakers are untouchable" outside of James, and the Pelicans are most interested in getting point guard Lonzo Ball as part of a return package.
Charania tweeted last week that Ball's camp "prefers Ball to be moved to a third team that doesn't have an established point guard." This is especially relevant now that Wojnarowski has since tweeted that New Orleans wants to keep point guard Jrue Holiday.
A new question emerged on Sunday night when James sent a cryptic tweet during Super Bowl LIII: "Man where Shams, Woj, Haynes, McMenamin at????...."
Does the King know something the rest of us don't?
The answer to that is most likely yes, but what exactly it is could be any number of rumors or even something that hasn't yet been reported. Might it have something to do with a now-deleted false report by Arizona Sports 98.7 that Ball had been traded to the Phoenix Suns?
Lakers Seeking Shooting Help
Outside of Davis, the Lakers seem to know they need more pieces to take full advantage of the LeBron Era as Tania Ganguli and Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times reported:
"(The Lakers) reached out to the Detroit Pistons about forward Reggie Bullock, sources said. Bullock is on the second year of a two-year contract that is paying him $2.5 million this season."
Additionally, Ganguli tweeted that the Pistons haven't received an offer they like enough to move Bullock—from the Lakers or any other unnamed team.
Bullock was originally selected No. 25 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers out of North Carolina in 2013. Bullock is used to being on the move. He was shipped via three-team trade in January 2015 to Phoenix before getting traded again in July to the Pistons.
As a Piston, Bullock has really come in the last season. He became a steady starter and averaged 11.3 points per game. If the Lakers were to ask Bullock whether they should acquire him, the 27-year-old would likely tell him that he's the best shooter in the league—as he told Rod Beard of The Detroit News in December.
Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype is particularly high on Bullock suiting up next to James:
"(Bullock) has been particularly impressive on catch-and-shoot opportunities, scoring 6.1 points per game in this offense. This trails three players in the NBA (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Lauri Markkanen) for the most this season.
"These can be converted easily when playing with James because defenders have to account for one of the greatest players of all-time, leaving teammates open for quick catch-and-shoot plays."
Mike Conley to the Jazz?
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski first reported on Jan. 23 that the Grizzlies were beginning to listen to trade offers for long-time franchise stars Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. Wojnarowski expanded:
"Memphis ownership and management have decided they've reached an organizational crossroads and are preparing to weigh deal scenarios on one or both of their cornerstone veterans between now and the Feb. 7 trade deadline—and perhaps into the offseason, league sources said."
Not much has transpired since then. However, Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune reported late last week that the Utah Jazz have made an offer for Conley "involving Ricky Rubio and a 2019 first-round pick."
More from Larsen:
"The Grizzlies didn’t immediately accept the offer, though considered it in the context of other pitches that they’ve been getting for Conley from other teams around the league.
Memphis says it has received offers including better first-round picks than the Jazz’s—currently slated to be the No. 19 pick—from teams around the league. One team reportedly also interested in Conley is the Detroit Pistons, sources said."
Conley is owed $30.5 million this season, $32.5 million next season and $34.5 million in 2020-21. The 31-year-old point guard has spent his entire NBA career in Memphis since the Grizzlies drafted him No. 4 overall in 2007. This season, he is averaging 20.2 points per game and 6.3 assists per game.
Rubio is in his second season with the Jazz after spending six seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who drafted him No. 5 overall in 2009. This season, the 28-year-old point guard is averaging 12.9 points per game and 6.1 assists per game—consistent with numbers he has posted throughout his career.
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