Anthony Davis had reportedly listed the New York Knicks among his preferred destinations via trade. During All-Star weekend, he confirmed this.
Before the New York Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis, Anthony Davis seemed like the next NBA superstar to leave his respective team. He asked for a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, which led to him sitting for a few games, the public battle between now-former general manager Dell Demps and the Los Angeles Lakers and the Kentucky product’s injury before the All-Star break.
Of course, Davis did not leave via trade. He can’t, with the Feb. 7 deadline long passed.
Amid the chaos, 25 year old had a list of preferred destinations, per Marc Stein of The New York Times and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski: the Knicks, Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks. That’s nothing new.
The Knicks could still try to trade for Davis before the deadline or wait until after the draft lottery in May, when the world will know how strong their top pick in June is. Either way, New York has ample encouragement to pursue a Davis trade before its big free-agent summer
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 7, 2019
However, during All-Star weekend, which Davis was selected to Team LeBron for, he was asked about this reported list. Per Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, the player himself confirmed this to be “true.”
I asked Anthony Davis about wanting to play for the Knicks and Lakers. He said the list that is out there is true.
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) February 16, 2019
Anthony Davis said the appeal of the Knicks is playing for the Garden and a great franchise. He said Bucks and Celtics are also on his list.
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) February 16, 2019
That’s almost as unprecedented as this saga has been for the past three weeks, with the awkwardness of Davis playing for the Pelicans and his agent Rich Paul’s handling of this, starting with passing along the official trade request publicly in late January.
To go one step further, Davis said the Boston Celtics are on his list, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. Anthony Sr., his father, previously told ESPN, he did not want his son in Boston.
Anthony Davis is asked about the Boston Celtics not being on his list. “They are on my list.”
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 16, 2019
Nothing can happen now, but it’s all noteworthy towards Davis’ eventual departure from New Orleans, where he’s played since arriving No. 1 overall in the 2012 NBA Draft.
That maintains the Knicks’ positioning for Davis, but what they can send remains to be seen. Arguably their best asset, Porzingis, is now Dallas. That leaves a 2019 first-round pick that’s no guarantee to become the first selection, future draft choices from the Mavericks, Kevin Knox, the rising Mitchell Robinson and Frank Ntilikina.
Do the Knicks willingly part with any of them for Davis? If not, they can keep everything and take their chance on $70 million in cap space for 2019 free agency, when Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson and others will hit the open market.
Either way, it will be an intriguing offseason for the Knicks. They have an opportunity at superstars to impact their 2019-20 squad and take them from this 11-47 misery. Will anyone willingly put on the blue and orange, though, once the dust settles?