BOSTON -- The Anthony Davis sweepstakes have officially began, and just about every team in the league is likely to try and get in on the action.
But multiple league sources tell NBC Sports Boston that while many will express interest and reach out to the New Orleans Pelicans looking to swing a deal, only a handful are expected to get serious consideration.
And the reason is two-fold: New Orleans’ desire to get a comprehensive trade package in return for Davis, which is expected to include young talent as well as picks, and Davis’ desire to play for a contender or a team that would catapult to contender status immediately if he joined them.
MORE ON THE CELTICS AND ANTHONY DAVIS
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- Forsberg: What the Celtics and Lakers may offer in their packages
- A look at past trades involving NBA superstars: Who gets the better of the deal?
The Boston Celtics are one of those teams whose roster, as well as war chest of draft picks, appear to at least position them to get serious consideration. But Boston’s chances at Davis will depend heavily on the Pelicans’ timeline for getting a deal done.
The Celtics can't trade for Davis until this summer due to the Rose Rule, which prohibits teams from having two players signed under the rule (Kyrie Irving was signed under the Rose Rule) on the roster at the same time. The rule allows teams to pay players up to 30 percent of the salary cap if they meet certain benchmarks while still under their rookie contract.
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Boston’s only shot at acquiring the 25-year-old Davis sooner would be to trade Irving to New Orleans, something the Celtics have shown no interest in contemplating let alone executing.
So the only way they'll have a shot at landing Davis will be if the Pelicans wait until the summer to move him, which is far from a given when you consider how much of an impact Davis can make on any team that's fortunate enough to have him on their roster.
According to Will Guillory of the Athletic in New Orleans, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry spoke at length with Davis earlier today and was told that he plans to play out the rest of this season.
This season, Davis is averaging 29.3 points, tied for second in the NBA with Golden State’s Stephen Curry. Davis is also averaging 13.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks, which rank third and second, respectively, in the league.
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