As the hours tick down to the trade deadline, the chances of Anthony Davis ending up on the Lakers seem more and more remote. This may have been the Pelicans’ plan all along.
Ten days of trade rumors, in which essentially everyone outside of LeBron James has been offered, has been the main conversation around the Lakers. This came after Davis’ trade demand and James’ previous public praising of the star forward led the Pelicans to grow frustrated over tampering.
Were all these rumors and leaks simply a revenge ploy to sew discord within the Lakers, while the Pelicans planned all along to wait until the offseason to trade Davis? That was essentially the question “The Jump” host Rachel Nichols posed to reporter Brian Windhorst on Wednesday.
“It’s not just possible, it is what happened,” Windhorst said when asked if the Lakers were set up. “The Pelicans had a method to their madness in the way this went.”
It seems to be working. The Lakers were mauled 136-94 by the Pacers on Tuesday night, while Brandon Ingram was hit with “LeBron’s gonna trade you” taunts. Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma and two first-round draft picks were the last known offer from the Lakers, who somewhat laughably pulled out of talks when they weren’t getting a sufficient response from New Orleans’ front office. The Pelicans can wait ’til the offseason and bring in more suitors and offers, namely from the Celtics.
The rumors led to a full LaVar Bell meltdown, in which he ripped the Lakers roster, coach Luke Walton and included a far-fetched demand that Lonzo end up on the Suns.
James is tied to all of it. His longtime friend and agent, Rich Paul, represents Davis and put out the initial trade request.
If the deadline passes without a deal, the Lakers would be left to try to salvage James’ first season in LA. They sit at 27-27 following a brutal month without James (groin strain) and are 2½ games out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
“It’s a f–ked-up situation,” one Pelicans staffer told the Los Angeles Times.
Now it is for both teams.