NBA Rumors: Buzz Surrounding Anthony Davis, Possible John Wall Trade and More

The Los Angeles Lakers have not been resting on their laurels as they prepare to defend the 2019-20 NBA championship.

Just one month after capturing the 17th title in franchise history, the Purple and Gold have made moves to improve the roster for a repeat.

Rob Pelinka started by acquiring point guard Dennis Schroder from the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers then re-signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and, most recently, signed veteran big man Marc Gasol, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe. 

All of these moves might also have an impact on Anthony Davis' impending contract negotiations with the team. Here are the latest rumors surrounding "The Brow" in addition to the future of the Washington Wizards' backcourt.

AD Wants to Assess Roster Before Determining Contract Length

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

It has long been thought Davis' eventual re-signing with the Lakers was essentially a formality, especially after L.A. won the title.

However, it appears Davis is willing to wait some time before making a decision with respect to the length of his contract.

Wojnarowski reported the 27-year-old was unlikely to hash out the details of a new deal until after Thanksgiving, and Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reported Davis and his agent, Rich Paul, informed L.A. the length of his contract would be dependent on their assessment of the roster.

Has Pelinka done enough to convince Davis to sign a long-term deal? Despite the Lakers' flurry of moves, there are not a ton of assets on the roster.

Schroder will be on an expiring contract, and both KCP and Gasol are on short-term deals. It also remains to be seen if the Lakers will sign Kyle Kuzma to a rookie extension.

The likeliest scenario still would seem to be Davis signing a one-and-one deal with a player option for the 2021-22 season. Doing so would allow AD to possibly re-enter the market with LeBron James, who also has a player option for that year. Or, the two stars could exercise their respective options and prolong free agency until the summer of 2022.

Regardless, Davis is content to see how the Lakers can stack the roster before he makes a decision about his future in Los Angeles.  

Nuggets Asked About Bradley Beal

Luis M. Alvarez/Associated Press

The Washington Wizards have brushed aside any trade speculation involving combo guard Bradley Beal in recent years, though rival teams are still showing plenty of interest.

Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports reported the Denver Nuggets were "inquiring" about Beal's availability in the days leading up to last week's NBA draft. 

Beal has established himself as one of the best guards in the league in the last few years. The former Florida product averaged 30.5 points, 6.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 57 games last season after back-to-back All-Star appearances in 2018 and 2019.

Washington showed its investment in Beal after signing him to a two-year, $72 million extension last October. However, the 27-year-old suffered through another losing season, prompting all sorts of questions about his future in D.C.

Mike Singer of the Denver Post reported last month the Nuggets were unlikely to trade for Beal because of their reluctance to include Michael Porter Jr. in trade talks. However, it makes perfect sense as to why they would pursue a deal.

Beal would give Denver a third star alongside Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic, with Murray's off-ball abilities complementing Beal's own skill set. Plus, the Nuggets are fresh off a conference finals appearance, and might feel they need just one more piece to get over the top.

But, as Singer noted, the Wizards have not suggested they wish to move Beal. In fact, Washington's apparent desire to build around Beal has reportedly irked his backcourt mate.

John Wall Trade Request Had Been in the Cards

Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

John Wall kickstarted Washington's rebuild when the Wizards selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft.

The former Kentucky star struggled with injuries early in his career. By his fourth season, however, Wall had become one of the best point guards in the league. He also helped lead the Wizards back to the playoffs and, during the 2016-17 season, was named Third Team All-NBA.

However, Wall's recent past is littered with injuries. He sat out the entirety of the 2019-20 season to rehab a ruptured Achilles suffered last February. The 30-year-old has also grown more frustrated watching Beal ascend as the new face of the franchise in his absence.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Friday night Wall had requested a trade. Sources told Goodwill the request was far from a surprise, citing an interview where Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard alluded to Washington being Beal's team as one of the reasons for Wall's demands.

Whether the Wizards actually trade the former face of the franchise is another issue. Wall is owed north of $85 million over the course of the next two years, per Spotrac, and also has a $47 million player option for the 2022-23 season he is also likely to accept.

Thus, Wall's contract would seemingly make him practically unmovable. Charania reported the Wizards and Houston Rockets had discussed a Wall for Russell Westbrook swap, though that would only be possible because of Westbrook's equally large contract.

Perhaps Washington could explore a deal for someone like Blake Griffin, though the Detroit Pistons would probably prefer to give minutes to No. 7 pick Killian Hayes at point guard.

Then again, the Wizards might hope Wall will show up to preseason motivated, with the idea a fully healthy roster led by Wall and Beal could be vastly more competitive in the Eastern Conference.

All stats obtained via Basketball Reference, unless otherwise noted.