NBA Trade Deadline 2019: Date, End Time, Hottest Rumors, Predictions and More
As Thursday's NBA trade deadline inches closer, everyone who follows the NBA is waiting in anticipation of the next bit of news regarding a potential Anthony Davis deal to come out.
Ever since the New Orleans Pelicans star and his agent revealed he wanted to be traded, the Los Angeles Lakers have put on a full-court press to land one of the most talented players in the NBA.
But getting a deal done in a short amount of time hasn't been easy for the Lakers, who have a few reasons to secure the services of Davis before the summer rolls around.
Acquiring Davis would boost Los Angeles' playoff chances and fend off any interest from the Boston Celtics, who can't hop into the market for the big man until July 1.
While Davis is dominating the trade-deadline news cycle, there are a few other players who could be on the move before the trade deadline hits Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.
Hottest Rumors and Predictions
Lakers Continuing Pursuit of Anthony Davis
The Lakers appear to be doing everything in their power to land Davis before the deadline.
However, there are plenty of factors suggesting a deal won't get done at the moment, as the Pelicans try to get as much as possible in return for the 25-year-old superstar.
According to ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski, there's a desire within the Pelicans organization to let the trade deadline pass with Davis still on the roster.
ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne reported Monday that the Lakers are becoming more pessimistic about a deal getting done and they've felt the conversations with New Orleans have been one-sided.
The current offer on the table from the Lakers has Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and two first-round picks headed to New Orleans, while Los Angeles is also willing to take on Solomon Hill's contract, per Wojnarowski.
However, the Pelicans are looking for much more, as they want the Lakers to overwhelm them with an offer that includes four first- and second-round draft picks and young players.
While that sounds like a ridiculous amount of assets to demand, New Orleans is well within its right to demand as much as possible if the Lakers feel they need to have Davis on the roster by Thursday afternoon.
The Lakers are at the forefront of the Davis negotiations, but they aren't the only team Davis could sign a long-term deal with.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Davis' representatives told the Pelicans he'd be willing to sign long-term contracts with the Lakers, New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers.
If nothing gets done before Thursday, expect the Boston Celtics to jump into talks with the Pelicans, even though Davis' father doesn't want his son playing for the historic franchise, per Shelburne.
Of course, the dynamic of the situation could change between now and July 1 if a deal doesn't get done by Thursday.
It's clear the Lakers are going to have to pay a massive price for Davis if they want him by Thursday, and while he's one of a few players in the NBA worth the gamble, they can't afford to mortgage most of their future for him.
With the Pelicans not willing to come down to a trade with lesser value, it's hard to see Davis going anywhere until the summer.
Prediction: Lakers continue to push for Davis, but he remains with Pelicans.
Detroit and Utah Going After Mike Conley
The Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons are the two teams with the most serious interest in Memphis guard Mike Conley, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Both teams have made offers that include a player and a first-round pick, with Utah offering Ricky Rubio to the Grizzlies and the Pistons shopping Reggie Jackson.
There are intriguing parts of both deals for the Grizzlies, as Detroit's first-round selection would be higher, but they'd have to take on Jackson's contract, while Rubio is a free agent this summer.
If you look at the rumored deals from Conley's perspective, Utah would be the better landing spot, as it possesses a solid core of players and ranks seventh place in the Western Conference.
However, if Conley teams up with Blake Griffin in Detroit, the Pistons could make a push for the No. 7 or No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, as they're 1.5 games back of eighth-place Miami.
For Memphis, trading Conley is all about getting value in return, and it wouldn't be surprising to see a few more draft picks thrown into negotiations over the next few days to sweeten the pot for the Grizzlies.
Both Detroit and Utah are good landing spots for Conley, but with Utah looking to make noise in the Western Conference, we think it'll get the deal done to bring in the 31-year-old.
Prediction: Utah adds draft picks to most recent offer and lands Conley.
Bulls Shopping Parker, Lopez
The Chicago Bulls are in the middle of the race for worst record in the Eastern Conference along with Cleveland and New York.
With their future in mind, the Bulls are looking to offload Jabari Parker and Robin Lopez in the coming days.
According to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, the Lakers and Jazz have inquired about Parker, while the Warriors are interested in Lopez.
Any potential offers for Parker and Lopez would feature the Bulls receiving assets to help improve their roster in the future.
Since Parker's option for next season is unlikely to be picked up, the Bulls should try and move him in an attempt to lose more games and have a better shot of earning the top spot in the NBA draft lottery.
Trading Lopez comes with the same motivation, as the Bulls might be able to ship him to a contender in need of a reserve big man.
Even if Chicago receives a minimal return for both players, it's worth getting the deals done in order to focus on the summer of 2019.
Prediction: Bulls offload Parker and Lopez before Thursday's deadline.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
