Los Angeles Lakers general manager Magic Johnson is not going to play the game any more with New Orleans Pelicans general manager Dell Demps.
According to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the team has at least for the moment disengaged from any further trade talks for Anthony Davis.
“The Lakers have ‘pulled out’ of any more conversations in trying to acquire New Orleans All-Star Anthony Davis because of the Pelican’s ‘outrageous’ trade requests, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly.”
The Lakers reportedly offered up what some would consider to be quite an enticing offer to the Pelicans for Davis. Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and Ivica Zubac were part of the reported offer, as well as veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and two first-round draft picks.
However, as noted by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Tuesday morning, New Orleans was seeking much, much more.
Pels are waiting on Lakers to overwhelm them w/ an historic haul of picks. To Nola, that means Lakers offering 4 first-round and second-round picks as part of a Davis package. Pels want to be compensated – perhaps even overcompensated – to even consider a deal with LA now. https://t.co/Ft8rfe9EBZ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 5, 2019
Per the Los Angeles Times report, that was just way too rich for the Lakers.
“They wanted more and more and more,” said one person. “There was no more to give. They had cap-relief with Hill being in the deal. But the more they wanted the more it because outrageous and unrealistic.”
It sure sounds like things are spiraling downwards, and with that it also seems like Davis might just end up in New Orleans for the rest of the season. The Pelicans know the offers will only get sweeter for them this summer.