The Anthony Davis sweepstakes is on.
No doubt more than a few of the NBA’s 30 general managers were dancing around their desks Monday, giddy with the possibility of acquiring Davis — a generational talent who’s still just 25.
Davis is suddenly trade-bait after telling the New Orleans Pelicans he won’t sign a five-year, $240 million extension this summer.
“Anthony wants to be traded to a team that allows him a chance to win consistently and compete for a championship,” Rich Paul, Davis’ agent, told ESPN.
But it will be Pelicans’ management — not Davis — that will ultimately decide if a trade offer suits them. Based on past superstar trades in the NBA, the Pelicans will likely seek multiple draft picks, a collection of young talent and possibly another superstar to make the trade feasible.
That almost assuredly eliminates the Wizards from contention.
The Wizards, six games below .500 and battling to get into the playoffs, don’t have the assets to make a serious case to New Orleans. It is unlikely the Pelicans would be interested in John Wall — who is out for the year with a heel injury and has a massive four-year, $170 million extension kick in after this season. Washington also lacks compelling blue-chip prospects.
Washington could always offer Bradley Beal, but that is very risky. Davis, after all, can opt out of his contract in 2020, meaning the team that trades for him runs the risk of him leaving a year-and-a-half later. Would a partnership with Wall be enough for Davis to stay? Doubtful.
While Beal can also opt out in 2020, the Wizards would likely have a better chance of convincing him to stay.
And again, the Wizards would have to include more than just Beal.
Still, Davis will be the worth the cost and the risks to some team. A soon-to-be six-time All-Star, Davis is averaging a career-high 29.3 points this season. He’s in the prime of his career and is the type of talent that can swing the balance of the league.
The Los Angles Lakers and the New York Knicks, according to Yahoo Sports, are already preparing offers to New Orleans.
The Lakers are a logical fit — given they have LeBron James and have been open about their desire to add another star. Davis and James also share the same agent.
New Orleans doesn’t have to make a move right now. The league’s trade deadline is Feb. 7, but the Pelicans could always wait until the summer to re-address the situation.
If they do, that opens the door for the Boston Celtics, who aren’t allowed to trade for Davis at the moment unless they include star Kyrie Irving because of a specific clause in the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
That will change in the summer once Irving opts out of his current contract and signs a new deal — and Boston has the assets to make an enticing offer.
In the past, the Pelicans scoffed at the idea of trading Davis.
But they acknowledged the reality of Monday’s news in a statement.
“Relative to specific talks of a (Davis) trade, we will do this on our terms and our timeline,” the Pelicans said. “One that makes sense for our team and it will not be dictated by that outside of our organization.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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