The Anthony Davis sweepstakes are heating up as the NBA nears the trade deadline. Teams have put all their cards on the table, but the Los Angeles Lakers are seemingly ahead of the curve. That said, the New Orleans Pelicans literally have the power to choose where they would send Davis, and New Orleans is reportedly looking to get more out of this trade.
Anthony Davis would have a positive impact on whichever team he gets dealt with, this much is clear. As such, the New Orleans Pelicans would definitely want to have their money's worth if they were to trade their franchise player. The Pelicans have received numerous trade offers for Davis, and according to the Bleacher Report, the Los Angeles Lakers sent as much as 5 trade proposals to New Orleans.
The Los Angeles Lakers practically offered everything they have in exchange for the New Orleans Pelicans' star. On Wednesday, the Lakers proposed a trade that would send the former number one pick Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Ivica Zubac, and a first round pick in exchange for Anthony Davis. This package seems to be the best of the bunch.
According to the Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Lakers' proposal left the New Orleans Pelicans "underwhelmed." And in response, New Orleans is looking to get one more draft pick out of the Lakers. In return, the Pelicans would send one unnamed Pelicans player to the Lakers with Davis.
From the New Orleans Pelicans counter-offer, it seems that they not only want to prepare for a future without Anthony Davis, but they also wanted to shed salary off their books. From this perspective, if the trade is approved, the Pelicans would have 4 players and two picks from the Lakers while sending away Davis and another Pelican.
However, Lonzo Ball's camp is adamant that the former second overall pick would prefer to be sent to a team needing a point guard. Recent reports suggest that the Phoenix Suns, a team badly needing a starting-caliber point guard, have set their eyes on Lonzo Ball.
Looking from the outside, the arrival of Anthony Davis to the Lakers would make the Purple and Gold a contender in the West. However, there is no telling how the loss of four core players would affect the Lakers.
In 47 games this season, Lonzo Ball is averaging close to 9.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on 40.6-percent shooting (32.9-percent from the beyond the arc). Meanwhile, Kyle Kuzma has season averages of 18.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.
Ivica Zubac is having a great year as the Lakers big man is averaging 8.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game. Brandon Ingram, on the other hand, has how improvement and has season averages of 17.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3 assists per game.
However, the Lakers still have LeBron James and the self-proclaimed GOAT immediately balances out any equation. While on paper, the young Lakers core is as solid as they come, Los Angeles still has a bevy of veteran players like Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Tyson Chandler, and JaVale McGee to hold the fort.
For the Pelicans, the four Lakers will get to work with Jrue Holiday, Julius Randle, Jahlil Okafor, and Nikola Mirotic. While it is unlikely that all of the four Lakers would remain with the Pelicans, one thing is clear: the Pelicans have set themselves up for the future. That being said, the price for losing Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers does not seem to be too steep.
