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We knew that it was going to take a lot for the Los Angeles Lakers to lure Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans, but now we have an idea as to just how much it will be. According to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers have offered Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac and a first-round pick in one of their five trade packages for Davis.
That might sound like a lot for one player — because it is — but it’s what they’ll have to offer if they want Davis in a Lakers uniform.
If they can’t complete a deal before the trade deadline, the Lakers will reportedly shift their attention to free agency:
Lakers want to get deal done and have no plans on trying to outbid Celtics during the summer because Lakers will then pursue other free agents besides AD.
— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) January 31, 2019
That means the Lakers are going to have to leave no stone unturned before abandoning their pursuit for Davis, and it sounds like they’re willing to do exactly that. However, this particular wrinkle adds an interesting dynamic to the trade talks.
The belief before was that the Lakers’ offer would be available to Dell Demps and the Pelicans when summer rolled around, giving New Orleans their pick of the litter when teams like the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks enter the conversation.
If the Lakers don’t plan on bidding for Davis in the summer, this might be the best offer the Pelicans get in terms of quality and quantity. Maybe they can convince the Pelicans that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Plus, trading Davis now would allow the Pelicans to integrate their new core of young players into their organization. There’s a lot of good that can come out of this for both parties, but trade discussions aren’t meant to be easy. There is still a ways to go before this gets done.
Expect more details to leak out as the days, or even hours, go by. When that does happen, we’ll have more for you.
For more Lakers talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. You can follow Christian on Twitter at @RadRivas.