The best course of action for the New Orleans Pelicans in regards to trading Anthony Davis is waiting until the summer when the Boston Celtics and other teams can offer their best possible package for the superstar center.
Davis is signed through next season, so there's no immediate rush to move him before the Feb. 7 trade deadline.
The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly are among the teams most interested in Davis, and it would benefit them to acquire him prior to the deadline while the Celtics are excluded from the bidding -- Boston cannot entertain a trade for the veteran center until the summer due to the league's designated player rule (explained here).
Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Pelicans don't seem too interested in talking about a Davis trade with anyone. Here's the latest on the situation, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
Any Lakers trade package presented to the Pelicans would include some combination of Ingram, Hart, Kuzma, Ball and Ivica Zubac, as well as a future first-round pick or picks. When that offer could occur leading up to the deadline is unknown. New Orleans general manager Dell Demps is "not picking up his phone," a source familiar with the situation told ESPN on Tuesday.
If Demps isn't picking up his phone, that would leave us to believe the Pelicans view a trade in the summer as the best option for the franchise. A statement from the Pelicans on Monday addressing Davis' trade request said the team would resolve the situation "on our terms and our timeline."
The Lakers have valuable trade assets, but their best young players haven't taken the leap many expected before the season. There's no surefire All-Star in the group, and certainly no one with the talent and potential of Celtics forward Jayson Tatum. If the Celtics made Tatum available, it would be very hard for the Lakers or any other team to come up with a more enticing offer for Davis.
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