Anthony Davis Trade Rumors: Lakers Talks 'Dormant'; No Communication Expected
It's extremely unlikely that Anthony Davis is going to be a Los Angeles Laker before Thursday's NBA trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, trade talks between the Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans have gone "dormant," with Woj adding the teams have had "no communication, nor an expectation that they'll even speak today. Pelicans seem content to run out the clock."
The Davis situation with the Lakers has been trending this way.
Wojnarowski reported last night that the Pelicans and Lakers didn't hold any talks on Wednesday, while ESPN's Brian Windhorst told Rachel Nichols on The Jump that the Pelicans had basically been stringing the Lakers along and releasing the trade details publicly as payback for the Lakers trying to force the team's hand:
The last proposed deal the Lakers made to the Pelicans—or at least the last one to be leaked publicly—was a package of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley and two first-round picks for Davis, while also taking back Solomon Hill to give the Pelicans some salary-cap relief next season, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
But not only was that deal reportedly not enough for the Pelicans, Wojnarowski reported the Pelicans weren't even making counter-offers:
It does appear the Pelicans never had any intention of dealing with the Lakers this season, likely as payback for perceived tampering. But the Pelicans also have little incentive to rush a deal, as the offers they'll get this summer could be stronger.
The Boston Celtics can join the fray, for instance, which they haven't been able to do this season since both Kyrie Irving and Davis are Rose Rule players, and they couldn't have both on the roster together. If the New York Knicks win a top-three pick in this year's NBA draft, meanwhile, they'll be able to build a very strong package.
The Los Angeles Clippers are another team that could potentially put together a nice package of draft picks this summer. And the same offers the Lakers made to the Pelicans this season will probably still be on the board after the season.
For the Lakers, meanwhile, the opportunities to add a second superstar alongside LeBron James are narrowing. There will be big names in free agency, but it's hard to imagine players like Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard joining James.
Perhaps the Lakers could convince Kyrie Irving to rejoin his old teammate, but staying in Boston—or forming a potential superteam with the Knicks—could be more appealing. The Lakers could find themselves out in the cold in free agency, too.
It's shaping up to be a very fascinating offseason in Los Angeles.
