Kuzma, Tatum Welcome Inclusion In Davis Trade, Pelicans GM Not Taking Calls

Anthony Davis will be traded by the New Orleans Pelicans either before the trade deadline on Feb. 7 or in the summer when many more teams can make their best offer. And they have made it clear it will be done on their time frame and not according to the player’s demands.

The Los Angeles Lakers are leading the chase at the moment and are said to be desperate to get it done before the trade deadline. They are aware the Boston Celtics are also long-term admirers and have piled up assets keeping Davis in mind.

The Celtics cannot enter the race until the summer and are said to have implored the Pelicans to wait until the summer as they are willing to give them any deal they want in order to sign the power forward. But the Lakers are keen to ensure they win the race and are said to be pushing for a deal before next weekend’s deadline.

Davis’ agent Rich Paul also manages LeBron James and is said to be keen to see his client end up with the Lakers. They are said to have even gone to the extent of informing other interested franchises that the forward will only sign an extension with the Lakers when he enters free agency in 2020.

The Lakers are said to be ready to offer a number of their talented young players including a combination of Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac and Josh Hart, while young point guard Lonzo Ball has also been made available.

The Celtics, meanwhile, are willing to offer Jayson Tatum, who is one of the highly rated young players in the NBA and they can also offload a number of draft picks, which the Lakers do not possess. And many are sure that if they make their best offer, they will be in front of the queue especially in terms of what the Pelicans will be looking to get in return for Davis, who is rated among the top-5 players in the league at the moment.

Kuzma despite impressing with the Lakers this season with an average of 19.1 points and 5.9 assists admitted that he is happy to be included in trade talks as it means he holds value in the league. It is the first time in his career that he has been part of trade talks and while it does not concern him, the power forward has welcomed it.

“This is my first go-around with that type of stuff, but it’s always a good thing, trade rumors. That’s what everybody always says. It means you have value and it means you’re going to be in this league a long time because people want you,” Kuzma said, as quoted on ESPN.

“For us, it’s all about controlling what you can control. At the end of the day it’s a business, and you can’t control your destiny in this league. But you can control your work ethic and how great you want to be. You can be great anywhere,” the Lakers star added.

Similarly, Tatum, who has been included in any trade package the Celtics offer for Davis, also has the same feeling. The forward welcomed the speculation as it confirms that he is rated by other teams in the league.

"My job is to just control what I can control. I can't control what happens, so just gotta go out there and focus on today,” Tatum said, as quoted on Bleacher Report. "It's good to be wanted. I guess you can say that."

Meanwhile, it is being reported that the Pelicans have absolutely no interest in trading Davis before the trade deadline and are ready to wait until the summer in order to assess the offers on the table. According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, via CBS Sports, the Pelicans general manager Dell Demps is not answering phones to listen to offers from the Lakers or any other interested franchise.