Could Anthony Davis be playing with the Philadelphia 76ers next season? Well according to one NBA reporter, the Sixers have a chance to land the superstar big man.
Chris Sheridan of Get More Sports reported on Monday that Davis is considering the Sixers, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and the New Orleans Pelicans in the near or distant future.
The NBA scribe also wrote that the determining factor for Davis will be what the Pelicans do in the first half of this season. If they are winning basketball games, then things should be good.
However, if they are not winning and start sliding in the Western Conference, then it is a strong possibility that the former first overall pick will be moved before the NBA trade deadline.
If we take what Sheridan wrote with a grain of salt, it does not come as a surprise that Davis is thinking about his long-term future somewhere else. The Pelicans have been wildly inconsistent over the last few years and have not done the best job of putting the best talent around their star big man.
Last season, New Orleans made the playoffs and won a first-round playoff series, sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers in four games. They were able to accomplish this feat with Rajon Rondo and Jrue Holiday handling things in the backcourt and Nikola Mirotic helping out Davis in the frontcourt.
Mirotic was acquired in February from the Chicago Bulls after All-star center DeMarcus Cousins went down with a season-ending injury.
However, as New Orleans gears up for this season, Rondo is with the Los Angeles Lakers and Cousins is in Golden State. That’s a lot of talent missing that Davis will be playing without.
Then, if you factor in the decision of Davis signing with Rich Paul of Klutch Sports earlier this offseason, it could signal that he might want out sooner than later.
The 6-foot-10 forward has two years and roughly $52 million left on his contract, which is up at the end of the 2020-21 season. Therefore, it makes sense for New Orleans to try to trade the 25-year-old superstar if things go south by the deadline.
The Lakers and Celtics seem like the overwhelming favorites to acquire Anthony Davis because of the young assets they have, but do not rule out the Sixers.
Even though Philadelphia struck out in their pursuit to land a star this summer, they still have more than enough assets and a new GM in Elton Brand who is willing to make a substantial move.
What would it take to land Anthony Davis?
In regards to a hypothetical trade between the two teams, the Sixers could use the Miami Heat’s 2021 first-round pick that they acquired on draft night for starters.
In addition to that, they could also include their 2019 first-round pick, multiple second-round picks, Jerryd Bayless, Markelle Fultz, and Robert Covington or Dario Saric.
On the surface, this seems like a lot to give up, but Davis is a generational talent. Could imagine pairing him in the frontcourt with Joel Embiid? Two big men, that could do damage in the paint but also on the perimeter? It is a scary thing to think about.
The potential addition of Davis would help elevate the Sixers to the top of the Eastern Conference, surpassing both the Celtics and Toronto Raptors. And not to mention, this hypothetical trade would help New Orleans with life after Davis.
Nevertheless, it should be interesting to see how things play out between the Pelicans and Anthony Davis. The big man obviously wants to be the best player in the game and win, but it might not happen in New Orleans.
