New Orleans Pelicans center Anthony Davis has been the subject of trade rumors recently, with several teams, led by the Boston Celtics, interested in his services. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN said Davis wants to play on a winning team, something that the Pelicans have failed to become, despite having another All-Star big man in DeMarcus Cousins. While Davis wants to remain with the Pelicans, he also wants to play for a “well-balanced franchise” like the San Antonio Spurs. Recently, he pressed the Pelicans about their future and plans to make the team a winning one.
If the Pelicans fail to provide him with one, Davis might be hard-pressed to ask for a trade, possibly to a squad like the Spurs, according to Rob Wolkenbrod of Air Alamo. Davis is averaging 25.7 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks this season.
Davis will shift balance of power
If the Spurs trade for Davis, it will shift the balance of power in the Western Conference as he will form a formidable frontline with LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard. In the offseason, the Spurs failed to make a big splash while other teams in the West beefed up their rosters. The Houston Rockets acquired Chris Paul, the Oklahoma City Thunder got Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, and the Minnesota Timberwolves traded for Jimmy Butler in the offseason.
The problem for the Spurs is that they don’t have any key pieces to trade for Davis, who has three-plus years remaining in his contract with the Pelicans. The Spurs have several young players in Dejounte Murray, Davis Bertans, Kyle Anderson and Derrick White, but they are not enough to interest the Pelicans to ship Davis to San Antonio.
The Spurs’ first-round pick next season is expected to be in the mid-to-low 20s so it will not draw the Pelicans’ interest. The Boston Celtics are also interested in Davis.
Leonard reacts after loss to Jazz
After their 100-89 loss to the Utah Jazz, Leonard said that the Spurs still have a “long ways to go” before they hit their stride.
Leonard missed the first 27 games of the season before returning on December 12. In four games, Leonard has yet to display the form that made him an MVP finalist last season. Currently, Leonard is averaging 10.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks in 17.3 minutes of action.
The Spurs have a 22-11 mark, good for third in the Western Conference, but Leonard expects the team to improve further once everyone is healthy. “It's still December. Once everybody is healthy we will be able to move as a unit and build some chemistry from there,” Leonard told Tom Orsborn of San Antonio Express-News. Against the Jazz, Leonard played a season-high 20 minutes, but he expects his stay on the floor to increase in the next few games.
