NBA Trade Rumors: Pelicans Eyeing Celtics' Offer For Anthony Davis With Lakers, Knicks Pursuing Star

Following the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery, much of the trade speculation regarding Anthony Davis has involved the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks. L.A. improved their potential offer to the New Orleans Pelicans by securing the No.4 overall pick, and the Knicks won a valuable asset in the No.3 selection, despite missing out on Zion Williamson.

The Boston Celtics had a chance to earn two top-10 picks but came away with the No.14 overall pick and the Memphis Grizzlies’ top-six protected 2020 first-rounder. Maybe the lottery didn’t go exactly as they had hoped, but the team is still largely in control of the Anthony Davis Sweepstakes.

Sources have told The Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett that the Pelicans will reach out to the Celtics if the addition of Williamson doesn’t convince Davis to withdraw his trade request. That should come as little surprise, considering Boston can put together the most enticing offer for the six-time All-Star.

Boston has been eyeing Davis for some time, compiling a treasure trove of assets to potentially get a deal done. Los Angeles and New York can’t match a Celtics’ offer that could include a combination of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, three 2019 first-rounders (No.14, No.20 and No.22), Memphis’ 2020 pick and Marcus Smart. Boston can even send New Orleans Gordon Hayward if they are interested in the small forward.

The question is whether or not the Celtics will put their best possible offer on the table. If Kyrie Irving re-signs with Boston, general manager Danny Ainge might not think twice about giving up Tatum and a bunch of first-round picks. That might not be the case if Irving heads elsewhere, giving Davis much less of a reason to re-sign with Boston as a free agent in 2020.

According to The Athletic's Frank Isola, Ainge believes trading for Davis would secure a commitment from Irving.

The Lakers and Knicks have more incentive to throw everything they have at the Pelicans. Los Angeles needs to do everything it can to create a championship contender now with LeBron James entering his 17th NBA season. Just about everyone seems to believe New York is going to sign Kevin Durant, and they will look to surround him with stars that can help them compete for a title next season.

It’s possible that New Orleans and Boston could meet somewhere in the middle with the Celtics retaining some assets but still outbidding the other contenders for Davis. Maybe Pelicans executive vice president David Griffin values Tatum in such a way that New Orleans doesn’t need Brown or all of the Celtics’ draft picks in order to get a deal done.

The lottery did put the Pelicans in a position of strength that they weren’t in a few days ago. New Orleans can afford to hold onto Davis for a little bit longer now that they are about to draft the most-hyped prospect since LeBron James. They also know that the Knicks are willing to part with their draft pick, which might not have been the case if Williamson was headed to New York.

The Herald has reported that Griffin and Davis are expected to meet at some point within the next week to discuss the star’s future. Trade speculation should only ramp up if Davis maintains that he’s ready to move on from New Orleans.