NBA Rumors: Latest on Anthony Davis' Future with Lakers, Donovan Mitchell, More

One of the most impactful decisions of the upcoming NBA offseason will involve Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis. The Lakers gave up a ton to acquire him last offseason—including rising players Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball—and losing him would be disastrous.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported in January that Davis had turned down a contract extension and is expected to decline his player option in the offseason.

Davis will likely, at least briefly, be a free agent. However, this does not necessarily mean that he will be leaving Los Angeles in the near future.

According to Kyle Goon of the Orange County Register, Davis is happy with his current situation:

"By any measure, [keeping Davis] is the top priority of the summer given what the Lakers had to give up to get him. Most in league circles believe that work is largely done—that L.A. is where Davis wanted to be, LeBron James is the teammate he wanted to have, and that the Lakers have done enough to sell him on a future with the franchise."

While not every player has been drawn to the idea of playing alongside LeBron James—and the attention/credit he tends to command—Davis has thrived in doing so. The two have a partnership on the court and share both the spotlight and the responsibility of leading the team.

"They've been unbelievable," free agent Jamal Crawford told Brandon Robinson of James and Davis on the Scoop B Radio podcast. "Those two, they have so much respect for each other."

Expect this partnership to extend into the foreseeable future.

Mitchell Mending Relationship With Gobert, Won't Be Easily Obtainable

When it was announced that Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19 on March 11, the NBA suspended play shortly after. Donovan Mitchell later confirmed he also contracted the virus.

As a result, the relationship between the two teammates has reportedly become strained, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Tony Jones.

However, the two Utah Jazz standouts have had a positive conversation, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports and TNT:

It appears unlikely at this point that Mitchell would try to force his way out of Utah. However, SNY's Ian Begley examined what a hypothetical trade to the New York Knicks might require.

"If Mitchell were to seek a trade from the Jazz, one opposing executive, speculating, said that any Knicks package would probably have to include either RJ Barrett or Mitchell Robinson, and two first-round picks (one of them unprotected)," Begley wrote.

That's a lot to give up, even for a rebuilding franchise in need of star power like New York. Mitchell is undeniably productive—he's averaged 24.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists this season—and will draw a ton of interest if he does become available. However, he won't come at a bargain.

Fans should dismiss the idea of their favorite teams stealing Mitchell on the cheap, even if his relationship with Gobert and the Jazz remains strained.

Julius Randle isn't Untouchable

While the Knicks may not be able to obtain Mitchell, they will undoubtedly look to upgrade their roster in the offseason. Part of that process could potentially involve trading away Julius Randle. There has been talk of players like RJ Barrett being unhappy with Randle and his habit of "not distributing the ball quickly enough." according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

If that unhappiness continues, Randle could be viewed as expendable.

The Knicks considered trading Randle before hiring new team president Leon Rose. They could do so again in the offseason, per Berman:

"Despite his relationship with Randle, a CAA client, Rose is certainly open to either dealing Randle or not executing his contract option for the 2021-22 season, though in that case, he still would count for $4 million on the salary cap. Leading into the Feb. 6 trade deadline, the Knicks were willing to move Randle and had talks with Charlotte."

Randle has averaged 19.5 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists thus far this season, and teams will be interested if he becomes available. With New York sitting on a suspended 21-45 record, no player should be viewed as untouchable in the offseason.