New Orleans Pelicans franchise cornerstone Anthony Davis is under contract through the 2020-21 season at nearly $26 million annually. He’s the face of a franchise that’s attempting to turn the corner following the acquisition of DeMarcus Cousins. In reality, New Orleans is looking to dominate inside with both Davis and Cousins on the court for a full season this upcoming fall.
But what if that pairing proves to be a downright failure? Well, according to Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports, the Boston Celtics would definitely come calling to see if Davis himself is available in a trade.
“Rival executives expect Boston to be keeping close tabs on New Orleans, which is entering a critical season,” Mannix reported. “The Pelicans are committed to seeing if an Anthony Davis-DeMarcus Cousins frontcourt can work, but if the season goes awry, it’s widely believed the Celtics will make a strong run at Davis, who is under contract through 2020.”
Even after signing All-Star forward Gordon Hayward to a max contract this summer, Boston surely has the assets to add another top-end player. That comes in the form of two potential top-five picks (from the Nets and Lakers) in next year’s draft. Add in youngsters Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and there’s a whole heck of a lot to work with there.
Though, this perceived interest in Davis seems to be more of the long-term variety. New Orleans is not going to move its All-Star big man in the lead up to a season that the team has playoff expectations. That’s only magnified with the huge contract the Pelicans handed to Jrue Holiday earlier in July.
It’s all about keeping tabs on how things go in New Orleans this upcoming season. Should Davis and Cousins fail to gel after spending the final couple months of the 2016-17 campaign on the same court, it might be time for the Pelicans to make a change. If so, Boston will surely be prepared to offer up a huge bounty for a 24-year-old big man that averaged 28.0 points and 11.8 rebounds last season.