There have been a few minor developments the last few days that are related to the future of Anthony Davis.
First, Davis told Yahoo’s Chris Haynes he prefers legacy over money. And by money, he means a super-max 5 year, $239 million contract that only the Pelicans can offer.
Second, Davis had dinner with LeBron James following the Pelicans/Lakers game on Friday night. The waters are quite muddy now that Davis is represented by LeBron’s pal Rich Paul.
The tone of Haynes’ story is that Davis has an affinity for the Lakers and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop him from playing in LA.
Except:
The Boston Celtics have long monitored Davis’ situation and on the surface possess the most attractive package of assets. If a team were to trade for Davis, he could play out his last year and re-sign for up to five years and $205 million. As an outright free agent, he could sign a max deal with a new team that would be worth approximately $152 million for four years.
Enter the Boston Celtics. Despite all the hubbub about the Lakers, the Celtics are right there.
Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus chimes in:
The buzz in Las Vegas, where most of the league’s executives gathered over the past few days for the NBA G League Winter Showcase, is that Davis will end up with either the Boston Celtics or Lakers before the 2019-20 season.
“It’s a renewal of the NBA’s great rivalries, just not on the court but behind the scenes,” one executive said.
As for a potential package of assets:
The Celtics are ready to talk draft picks, given that they could have four first-round selections in the 2019 draft on June 20—their own plus those of the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings (depending on various protections). The ideal for Boston would be an agreement a few days before the draft that wouldn’t be officially executed until early July…
A Boston deal for Davis would probably include Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown as the primary pieces, although the Celtics could build a trade around Gordon Hayward (player option in 2020-21) or include others like Terry Rozier (restricted free agent this offseason) and Marcus Morris (impending free agent)—but only if they agree to be part of a sign-and-trade package with New Orleans. Al Horford has a player option for $30.1 million, which could put him in play if he chooses to pick it up instead of exploring free agency.
Another aspect to any trade would be New Orleans likely desire to move AD out of the Western Conference.
But… if Davis wants Los Angeles, Lebron, I mean, his agent, can tell opposing teams (including the Celtics) that AD will not be signing an extension.
I’m not sure what’s going through AD’s head but I sure hope he’s considering one fact: LeBron James turns 34 next week. Sure, James is still playing at a ridiculously high level, but only a fool would ignore Father Time.
PS: Kyrie Irving turns 27 in March and Jayson Tatum is 20.
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