Anthony Davis' Agent Rich Paul Breaks Down Trade Talks with Celtics' Danny Ainge
Agent Rich Paul said his telling the Boston Celtics that Anthony Davis would not re-sign with the franchise if it traded for him was about respect and maintaining a relationship with president of basketball operations Danny Ainge.
Paul told ESPN's Dave McMenamin:
"The last thing you want to do is put a GM in a situation where he trades away an asset and then the guy walks out the door. Like, you can't do business that way. So it's not really a hard conversation to have.
"And I don't think it stopped Danny Ainge from trying. It's just that maybe he didn't have the deal [he wanted]. He wasn't willing to give up the young players, which I don't blame him. I wouldn't give them up either if the guy is not going to re-sign."
Davis maintained he wanted to wind up in New York or Los Angeles after requesting a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, which cooled the list of potential trade partners. By the end, the Lakers were the only team willing to give up a haul of young players and draft picks befitting of Davis' stature—in large part due to their desperation to return to the playoffs after six-year absence.
"Rich had done such an effective job of smoking out all of the competition for the Lakers that we were left with the sense that the best deal is going to very likely come from them. And if we can get X-Y-Z, we have to execute the deal," Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin said.
The Celtics had coveted Davis for years. Ainge spent most of the last couple of seasons accumulating a combination of draft picks and veterans, playing a middle ground that wound up backfiring—seemingly in service of eventually landing a Davis-level talent. The Celtics went into last season considered a Finals contender but saw their veterans, most notably Kyrie Irving, clash with the roster's young stars.
By the time Davis requested a trade in January, the Celtics were in such disarray that they did not look like a desirable location.
The Lakers, on the other hand, had LeBron James and the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles waiting in the wings—along with a hero's welcome for potentially saving the franchise. As far as comparisons go, it's hard to blame Davis for prioritizing L.A. over Boston.
