Anthony Davis To Lakers? Move From Pelicans Won't Happen, Jalen Rose Says

With all the speculation about who could join LeBron James at the Los Angeles Lakers in the future, the latest addition to the rumor mill is New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis.

According to ESPN, Davis recently parted ways with his longtime agent Thad Foucher and is expected to sign with Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who notably represents James.

The connection was instantly made as fans and media then pondered the possibility of Davis moving to Los Angeles to team up with James.

The 25-year-old is one of the best players in the league, having come off his best season in 2017/18 where he averaged 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks and led the Pelicans to the Western Conference semifinals despite the absence of DeMarcus Cousins.

In addition, he was also nominated for NBA MVP as well as Defensive Player of the Year, coming in at third for both awards. He is, however, yet to have a major impact in the postseason, having only won five playoff games in his six-year career, all of which came this year.

Luckily for the Pelicans, Davis is contracted for another two years with $52 million left on his deal, while he also has a $29 million player option for the 2020/21 NBA season. And former player, now an ESPN analyst, Jalen Rose does not believe a move to Los Angeles is happening anytime soon.

"Not going to be able to do it," Rose said, as quoted on The Express. "Here’s why — if I’m the Pelicans I’m not going to be complicit. I’m not supporting this."

"If I see a 310 or 213 area code on my phone? Voicemail. I don’t want to be part of that. Y’all holler at me when LeBron James’ three years are up and he’s going into the final year of his deal, then we’ll talk!" he said.

Staying in New Orleans wouldn't be the worst thing either. Davis is continuing to get better each season where he's the focal point while they've added Julius Randle to their ranks as a replacement for Cousins.

Davis will also be eligible for a supermax deal worth over $230 million after next season, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.

As for what a potential partnership with Klutch Sports really means, Rose adds that it increases opportunities for Davis as well as his profile worldwide, especially being represented by the same agency that represents the most popular player in the world today in James.

"What this does for Anthony Davis — it makes him more appealing as a pitch man," Rose explained. "In the NBA, people don’t realise — and I’m talking about the notable players that have multiple years on their contracts, probably top eight players on each roster — 90 percent are represented by only four or five people [agencies]."

"What ends up happening is they may be calling you about deals, appearances, endorsements and opportunities for LeBron James but then you can start talking about the other clients you have and why this may fit for them as well. It puts you in the room, in the conversation. I’m not saying his previous agent didn’t do a good job, this is about trying to go to that next level especially as one of the top players in the game that’s universally acknowledged as such," Rose added.