It’s Anthony Davis Week around the NBA, with each successive day unearthing new layers to a story that only tends to deepen the more you probe. Since his bombshell announcement on Monday that he wants a trade from the Pelicans, the suitors have been lining up around the block, assets in arms, to try and convince New Orleans to make a deal.
And by suitors, we mean mostly the Los Angeles Lakers, who have long coveted the All-Star center to pair alongside LeBron James and are apparently willing to part with most of their young talent as they work to vault their storied franchise back into contention (and relevance). But it also emerged on Friday that the Knicks made a play for Davis by dangling Kristaps Porzingis before they eventually dealt their own disgruntled center to Dallas in a blockbuster trade on Thursday.
But the Pelicans have proved reluctant so far, in part because prospective trade partners will have more flexibility this summer to make a better offer. The Boston Celtics are chief among that contingent, and with Kyrie Irving’s recent comments about his pending free agency not exactly inspiring confidence, they could be in a position to make quite an alluring offer.
There’s only one problem with that scenario. According Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Davis’ father is adamantly against him going to Boston because of the way Danny Ainge handled the situation with Isaiah Thomas two years ago.
“I would never want my son to play for Boston after what they done to Isaiah Thomas,” Anthony Davis Sr. told ESPN on Friday. “No loyalty. Guy gives his heart and soul and they traded him.”
Davis Sr. clarified that this is solely his opinion, and he can’t speak for his son.
“This is just my opinion, not Anthony’s,” he said. “I’ve just seen things over the years with Boston and there’s no loyalty.”
Davis the younger is obviously his own man and will make his own decision regarding his future, but that’s a pretty strong sentiment from the family patriarch, which also jives with another report that he would consider himself a short-term rental in Boston. It will also be at least partially out of his control if the Pelicans opt trade him to the Celtics this offseason while he still has another year left on his contract.
Davis’ agent Rich Paul was reportedly informing prospective teams, however, that his client won’t sign an extension with anyone but the Lakers, although Davis himself denied that report during a press conference on Friday saying that he hasn’t made any ultimatums about where he wants end up or with whom he will re-sign.
(ESPN)
