While the Anthony Davis trade talks are still the hottest in the headlines, his agent Rich Paul let the world know that Davis would be testing free agency next summer no matter what happens. Let’s take a look at the future options of Anthony Davis.
Possible Destinations for Anthony Davis
The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers are still very high in acquiring the all-star forward. They are the front-runners in the Anthony Davis pursuit. But, Davis’ agent Rich Paul already stated that if Celtics trade for Davis, it would just be a one-year rental. He made sure that the Celtics knew what lies ahead if they trade for the all-star forward. Davis already made up his mind to be a free agent in 2020. So, the risk is there and it’s likely to happen.
Rich Paul said that wherever Davis ends up, it won’t matter. Because they are only focused on the 2020 free agency. He insisted that no matter what happens, Anthony Davis will be testing free agency.
The Boston Celtics should think about this. They have enough assets and the New Orleans Pelicans are interested in Boston’s young star Jayson Tatum. But the question is, are the Celtics willing to give up a future superstar for a one-year rental? Rich Paul said that if the Celtics go for it and traded for Davis, they would go there and Davis will play. They’ll fulfill their contractual obligations and will wait until the contract expires. And if he finally walks away after the contract expires, Boston could not blame Rich Paul after they gave up assets for Davis. They could possibly lose Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. And even Marcus Smart.
The Kyrie Irving-Anthony Davis Domino Effect
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics are undeterred in pursuing Anthony Davis. And they believe that getting Davis will give them a strong case in retaining Kyrie Irving.
So far, Boston has been undeterred in pursuing Davis — despite his agent insisting AD would be a 2020 flight risk in free agency. For Boston, Davis could still be its best case to keep Kyrie Irving. Story soon on https://t.co/XcwLHcsHad https://t.co/C9NwYJiObX
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 12, 2019
Irving joining the Brooklyn Nets seems to be almost a done deal. So, Boston might be wrong in thinking that they can still retain Irving even if they acquire Davis. And for Anthony Davis, like Kawhi Leonard‘s situation in Toronto, he still won’t commit to the Celtics for a long term deal whatever they achieve. He can still choose freely on which team he will join. There are still huge possibilities that he won’t re-sign even if they reach the Finals.
Lakers’ Pursuit for Anthony Davis
Davis is also thinking about getting the most amount of money he could possibly get by signing a new contract. It makes a lot of sense for Davis because he will get less money if he signs an extension from whichever team he will end up this summer. Davis already expressed his interest in joining the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks and already insisted that he will only re-sign long term with either team. And with the Pelicans not so interested in New York’s assets, it looks like the Lakers will finally win the Anthony Davis sweepstakes.
It was also reported that the Lakers are making progress in trading for Davis and it will need a third team. The chances lie ahead on the third team and on what they are willing to give up that can meet the Pelicans’ demands. And if it works out, it’s a done deal.
