NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Anthony Davis, Ja Morant and More

The New Orleans Pelicans may have won the NBA draft lottery, but they still may lose their best player. 

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis' stance on wanting to be traded has not changed despite the team winning the No. 1 pick, which will surely be Duke phenom Zion Williamson. 

Davis, 26, is under contract for two more seasons with the Pelicans, but he has a player option after the 2019-20 season that could make him a free agent next summer. 

There had been growing speculation prior to the lottery that whichever team won could use the No. 1 pick in a trade for Davis. 

Per Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Pelicans insist that their plan is to try to convince Davis to stay in New Orleans now that he will be paired with the 18-year-old rising star:

Stein noted Williamson has not signed an agent and can theoretically return to school if he does not want to play for the Pelicans, but that is solely speculation at this point. 

Teams Davis has expressed a desire to be traded to have included the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. 

ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on Wednesday's episode of The Jump that the Pelicans are not interested in making a deal with the Lakers despite landing the No. 4 overall pick, while the Celtics have lost steam in their potential trade package after drawing the No. 14 pick in the lottery. 

Instead, the Knicks, who own the third overall pick in the draft, could be the team that can make the best offer to New Orleans, according to Windhorst. 

Who's No. 2?

While Zion Williamson going to the Pelicans is virtually guaranteed, the next question is who will go No. 2 to the Memphis Grizzlies. 

Murray State guard Ja Morant and Duke guard RJ Barrett have been linked as the next best players in the draft behind Williamson and the Grizzlies appear to know which direction they are going to go. 

Per ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony, the Grizzlies' front office has "locked in" on drafting Morant and have gone so far as to inform parties at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago:

With the Grizzlies set on Morant, that leaves a Barrett marriage with the Knicks almost inevitable, unless they decide to include the pick in a potential trade package for Anthony Davis, of course. 

Darius Garland Leaves Combine

While we know who is going to go in the first three picks of the draft, after that is anyone's guess. It could even be Vanderbilt freshman Darius Garland.

Garland, a 6'2", 175-pound guard, played just five games for the Commodores before sustaining a meniscus tear in his left knee in November but participated at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago to gauge his draft status. 

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Garland left the combine on Wednesday, fueling belief that he could "have a promise in the lottery."

ESPN's Lakers beat reporter Ohm Youngmisuk ponders Garland as one of the options for Los Angeles at No. 4, while CBS Sports' Gary Parrish projected Garland going sixth to the Phoenix Suns in his mock draft.

Garland's stock will be one to watch as the NBA draft on June 20 nears.