Pelicans Ready For Celtics' Anthony Davis Approach, Aware Of Tactics, Griffin Says

It is no secret that Boston Celtics is interested in trading for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis. Celtics general manager Danny Ainge is expected to begin talks in the coming months now that the Pelicans have appointed a new vice-president of basketball operations – David Griffin.

The New Orleans franchise’s new VP of basketball operations goes back a long way with Ainge and has revealed that there is little the Celtics GM can do to pull the wool over his eyes during the negotiations. Ainge is known to be a shrewd negotiator and has got the better end of many a trade during his time with the Celtics and prior.

The Boston franchise is said to have played a major role in the Pelicans rejecting the Lakers’ advances for Davis before the February trade deadline and the New Orleans team is expecting to get a proposal from them in the coming months. Jayson Tatum is expected to be part of the package, while the Celtics also hold three first round draft picks that will also be included.

Griffin revealed that he knows the tactics Ainge uses when it comes to negotiating a deal and admitted that the two can be open with each other and cut straight away to the chase. He is certain, however, that whichever way the discussions go, it will be a “fruitful” one.

“[Ainge] was a person that had a really big impact on my having an ability to get into scouting in the first place because he was giving me far more credit than I deserved for the players that I was ‘finding’ on video tape,” Griffin said on ESPN’s “The Jump”, as transcribed by Celtics Wire.

“I think to some degree you are mindful of what his tact is. You’re very mindful if you’re doing this right. You’re very aware of what everyone’s tact is,” he added. “The negotiating tactics that someone uses and employs, you’re going to be aware of that."

“Danny is not unique in that. He has a very specific style. What makes the situation with Danny unique is we have the type of relationship where we can really call each other on all that nonsense and just sort of go, this is what it looks like. Because we have that ability it makes any conversation we have along the way, a fruitful one," he said.

Davis requested a trade through his agent earlier this year, but the Pelicans decided to keep him at least until the summer rather than allow him to leave mid-season. All 29 teams have been put on alert, but there are a few that have the assets to tempt the Pelicans into trading him in the summer.

The Celtics have the best assets available but the Los Angeles Clipper, Lakers and New York Knicks are said to be contenders for the power forward’s signature. Griffin, however, is not willing to give up on Davis and believes his good relationship with his agent Rich Paul will help convince him that staying long-term with the Pelicans will not be such a bad idea.

The Pelicans VP of basketball operations dealt with Paul, who is also LeBron James’ agent during his stint with the Cavaliers. During his tenure the Cleveland franchise made three straight NBA Finals appearances, winning one title in 2016.

“I look at the situation with very good optimism and the reason is I have a very good working relationship with Rich Paul. Because of that there’s mutual respect. I think there’s going to be appreciation on his part for the fact that I would not have come here if it wasn’t for the fact that Mrs. Benson and her ownership team weren’t completely committed to winning,” Griffin said. “They very much are. Because of that, I think some of the concerns that Anthony probably had, we’re going to be able to alleviate. I feel like there is reason to be optimistic that he’s going to be open minded to coming back…”