Two of the Boston Celtics' top rivals in the Eastern Conference could join the Anthony Davis trade bonanza before the Feb. 7 trade deadline.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors are among the teams "expected" to make a play for the New Orleans Pelicans superstar center before the offseason, writes The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor:
New Orleans has options right now. The Lakers, Knicks, Bucks, and Raptors are expected to make trade offers for Davis ahead of the deadline, according to multiple front-office sources. To some degree, every team will at least consider making an offer. But the Nuggets are considered by front-office executives as the off-the-radar team that actually has the assets to complete a deal, should they choose to enter the sweepstakes.
The Celtics, as you might know by now, cannot trade for Davis during the season -- unless Kyrie Irving is involved in the deal -- because of the NBA's designated player rule (explained here). Therefore, the next week or so is the best opportunity for rival teams to enter the race and try to get Davis before the Celtics, who have the best collection of draft picks, team-friendly contracts and talented young players, join the mix.
The Toronto Raptors made a bold trade to acquire Kawhi Leonard last summer despite the fact he's eligible to be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. The move has paid off, so far, as the Raptors have sat atop the East standings most of the season. Toronto probably still has the assets to land Davis, but it's hard to envision any trade between these teams that doesn't include rising Raptors star Pascal Siakam.
The Bucks enter Tuesday's games tied with the Raptors for the No. 1 spot in the conference, and pairing MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo with another generational talent in Davis would create a fearsome duo for the rest of the East to go up against. Milwaukee doesn't have the same pile of quality trade assets as many other clubs, though.
It makes sense for the Pelicans to wait until the summer when more teams can pull off a trade of this magnitude, and New Orleans benefits from a bidding war between several teams. The Pelicans released a statement Monday addressing Davis' trade request and noted they'll resolve the situation on "our timeline." That makes it sound like a deal before the deadline is unlikely, but if the Raptors, Bucks or another team presents an offer New Orleans can't refuse, we could see some fireworks in the near future.
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The best-case scenario for the Celtics is Davis not being dealt until the summer, when they can acquire him themselves or drive up the price for other teams.
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