The Los Angeles Lakers have significant incentive to convince the New Orleans Pelicans to trade them Anthony Davis over the next few days. Once the trade deadline hits on February 7, the Lakers have to compete with a number of other teams who may have more assets they can deal to the Pels in the summer.
The Boston Celtics are one team that seems like the biggest threat to the Lakers in the Davis sweepstakes in the warmer months, which is why the Lakers feel they need to make a push right here, right now. But the biggest problem with the Lakers is that their allure lies in what they can offer Anthony Davis more than they can give the team that currently has his rights.
Davis reportedly wants to land in Los Angeles, but convincing the Pelicans to trade Davis there seems to be easier said than done. Two of the biggest NBA reporters in the business exchanged a number of tweets late Friday night about what the Lakers have offered New Orleans for their franchise player, and the packages revealed are decidedly uninspiring.
Shams Charania’s sources used the phrase “lowball” to describe the trade packages put on the table by the Lakers, while ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said the Pelicans don’t feel they’ve seen a “serious” offer from the Lakers.
Sources: The Lakers have yet to place all of their assets on the table as the Pelicans listen on offers for Anthony Davis. "Lowball," one source said. Davis hasn't been cleared from his fractured left finger, but is close to a return to action.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2019
As the NBA trade deadline approaches on Thursday, Lakers have yet to offer multiple first-round picks in any deal, or salary cap relief, league sources tell ESPN. Lakers offering several different deal ideas, but none serious enough for a Pelicans counter yet, sources said. https://t.co/6H9ynauljJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 2, 2019
Both reporters made it clear that the offers have been so uninspiring that the Pelicans haven’t felt they’re ‘serious’ enough to send a counter offer.
Sources: The Lakers have offered the Pelicans two of their talented young players — among Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac, Josh Hart — with Rondo or Stephenson as core parts of a deal. For Pelicans, these have not been remotely serious offers.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2019
And according to Wojnarowski’s story, much of that reticence to wheel and deal comes from the Lakers not including a second first-round pick in negotiations.
The Lakers have included only two of their better young players in a rotating group of offers, none of which included multiple first-round picks or offering salary cap relief for the Pelicans — typical staples of offers for superstar players, sources said.
Wojnarowski’s story draws a parallel to Los Angeles’ pursuit of Paul George when he essentially requested a trade from the Indiana Pacers two years ago. The Lakers did not offer assets significant enough to interest the Pacers in trading George with — like Davis — a year left on his contract. The Oklahoma City Thunder did, however, trading for George who then decided to re-sign with the Thunder and eschew a free agency where he could have signed with the Lakers.
Whether history repeats itself for the Lakers is unclear right now, but the narrative presented through the two reporters makes it clear that if the team is serious about acquiring George, it needs to offer more to make a trade for Davis happen.
