The Lakers are once again the reported frontrunners in the Anthony Davis trade sweepstakes as they have the young players and, thanks to vaulting to No. 4 in the draft lottery, draft capital to make for an intriguing package to offer the Pelicans.
On Wednesday, word arrived that the Lakers and the Celtics, despite being told a Davis trade would be nothing more than a one-year rental, were both pursuing Davis and engaged in talks with New Orleans. There’s a difference between conversation and legitimate, potential trades, but it was noteworthy nonetheless.
Shortly after that report, Marc Stein of the New York Times delivered a bombshell report that the Lakers appear to have close to their best potential offer on the table already, as he notes Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and the fourth pick are all available to the Pelicans.
The Lakers have made Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and the No. 4 pick in the June 20 draft available in trade talks with the Pelicans, league sources say. New Orleans has made it known it hope to assemble a three-teams-or-more deal before surrendering Anthony Davis
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 12, 2019
That seems like a significant haul, but the Pelicans are apparently adamant about getting Kyle Kuzma in a deal as well, although according to Stein and Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers are trying to keep Kuz out of a potential trade.
My sense is that the Lakers, to this point, have tried to keep Kyle Kuzma out of the talks and the full package New Orleans would receive in an Anthony Davis deal obviously depends on what the third team provides
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 12, 2019
One player that the Lakers’ trade discussions with the Pelicans for Anthony Davis could hinge on? Kyle Kuzma. The Lakers do not want to trade him, but the Pelicans want him as part of a package, sources tell me and @BA_Turner.
— Tania Ganguli (@taniaganguli) June 12, 2019
The Lakers' ability to seal a deal for Anthony Davis likely hinges on what the No. 4 pick can fetch. If the No. 4 pick can land a player to excite New Orleans, on top of Ingram and Ball, then the teams are headed for an agreement in principle before draft night next Thursday
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 12, 2019
It’s fairly amazing that an Anthony Davis trade could hinge on the inclusion of Kyle Kuzma, but David Griffin is going to try and milk the Lakers for everything he can, knowing that they will be fairly desperate to add Davis via trade given the general lack of interest most top free agents reportedly have in the Lakers this summer. We’ll see how this develops, but it seems eerily similar to what we heard being discussed at the deadline.
