David Griffin and the New Orleans Pelicans appear to be softening their stance on trying to keep Anthony Davis on the roster. Per a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday, Griffin has started the process of giving potential trade partners the “framework of the package” that he’d like in a trade for Davis, including “multi-team scenarios that would expand the Pelicans’ pool of assets in a deal.”
Davis, a free agent at the end of the 2020 season, was not traded by the Pelicans prior to the NBA’s trade deadline in February. When the Pelicans won the NBA Draft Lottery and the right to draft Zion Williamson there was talk that the Pelicans would like to keep Davis in New Orleans, but it seems Griffin has opened his mind to a trade after a discussion with Davis and his people earlier in the month.
In addition to looking for an All-Star caliber player, Griffin also wants players and picks that would become assets for the Pelicans as they look to move forward with the no. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
From the report:
Griffin is pursuing a combination of assets that include an All-Star player, a young player with All-Star potential and two first-round picks, league sources said. Those wants are on a sliding scale. For example, the better the player, the softer the asks on the draft picks — and vice versa.
That’s certainly a starting place in trade talks, but there remains uncertainty on how many assets teams will be willing to move for Davis, who could leave as a free agent next July.
In whatever deal the Pelicans make, Griffin wants the assets to continue building a Western Conference playoff team around guard Jrue Holiday and the projected No. 1 overall pick, forward Zion Williamson, sources said.
The Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers have been the four teams engaged in the most conversations with New Orleans, per Wojnarowski. The Knicks and Lakers hold the No. 3 and No. 4 picks in the draft, respectively, and all four teams are interested in trying to pair Davis with another superstar like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard or Kyrie Irving. Griffin has made it known that he’d like to acquire any 2019 draft picks in the days leading up to the draft on June 20th, which could provide a timetable for teams looking to complete a deal for Davis.
In other words, buckle up.
