The Los Angeles Lakers have great designs on trying to bring Anthony Davis to L.A. to pair him up with LeBron James for a championship-caliber team. LeBron even recently made comments that it would be amazing to play with Davis in Los Angeles -- something that ESPN reports has a lot of small market teams angry and yelling for tampering charges to be filed against the Lakers and LeBron.
However, all during this entire situation, Davis has said that he doesn't care about the NBA trade rumors or LeBron James comments and just wants to help his New Orleans Pelicans win. At the same time, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry said that the team won't trade Davis for anyone.
With that said, the New York Times reports that the Los Angeles Lakers have put together an amazing deal to try to change the Pelicans' mind on trading Anthony Davis.
L.A. trade package for AD
The Los Angeles Lakers have LeBron James and know they can trade away a ton of young talent and if they get someone like Anthony Davis in return, they won't miss a beat.
So, who are the Lakers willing to trade for AD?
The New York Times revealed that the Lakers know the Boston Celtics are also interested in Anthony Davis and have put together a package of some of their brightest young stars. This includes Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball. Honestly, the Lakers sound like they are willing to trade the entire youth movement they built in the NBA Draft to get Davis.
The honest truth is that if the Boston Celtics offer up Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, they will still beat the Lakers offer unless Los Angeles gives up most of their young core for one player in Davis. The Celtics also have a high first-round pick coming in 2019 from either the Sacramento Kings or Philadelphia 76ers (likely the Kings, since they get the highest of the two picks) to trade as well.
Lakers odds of getting Davis
Honestly, there is no chance the Los Angeles Lakers or Boston Celtics get Anthony Davis this year. He is wrapped up under contract until 2020 and there is no reason at all for the New Orleans Pelicans to trade him until next season -- and that is only if Davis makes it clear he won't sign the supermax extension.
If he refuses that, expect the Pelicans to move the star so they can get something in return. The Celtics can't do anything until Kyrie Irving signs a new deal due to NBA rules on rookie scale extensions. The Los Angeles Lakers could wait and hope the Pelicans keep him and then sign him as a free agent in 2020, but if one of those teams get Anthony Davis, they will immediately become one of the best team in the NBA.