Whenever a soon-to-be NBA superstar’s uncertain future is determined, another one steps right on up.
There is seemingly always a superstar at the forefront of NBA news and rumors potentially ready to leave his current team and sign with someone else, forcing trade speculation. July of 2019 will have massive implications for the future landscape of the NBA, but the headliner of the 2020 free agent class is stealing the spotlight.
Teams are already lining up for the services of New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis, just in case he has any thoughts of becoming available in any capacity. LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are certainly interested in acquiring the star big man before his contract is up after next season.
Of course, the Pelicans are going to hold out as long as they can to convince Davis that New Orleans is the best place for him to be. At the end of the day, they can offer him a fifth year on a max contract that nobody else could in free agency. Plus, they can offer more money via a supermax extension.
So, there is no way Davis turns down supermax level money that is assuredly coming his way from the Pelicans, right? According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, that may not be the case.
According to a source with knowledge of Davis’ thinking, he does not see the extra $87.3 million that New Orleans is expected to offer in a five-year, $239.5 million supermax extension this summer as a factor in his eventual decision.
If a supermax extension is not a factor for Davis as he evaluates his future, the Pelicans could be in trouble. Currently 15-17 on the season and tied for 12th in the Western Conference, New Orleans has a lot of work to do to convince their franchise player to stick around beyond his current contract. If he expresses his desire to play elsewhere, the Lakers could be in the mix by offering up some (or all?) of the young talent they possess.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Davis recently signed with Rich Paul and Klutch Sports, the same agent as James. The Lakers have established a strong relationship thus far with Paul, and that could be meaningful moving forward for reasons beyond James.
Things change quickly in the NBA, and we have seen this story time and time again linking the Lakers to a soon-to-be available star player. Whether or not the Lakers can swing a deal to bring Davis to Los Angeles remains to be seen. But there is no doubt that they will at least be in the mix.
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