After months of speculation and rumors, Anthony Davis has finally requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans.
According to his agent, Rich Paul, Davis "wants to be traded to a team that allows him a chance to win consistently and compete for a championship." Additionally, Paul told ESPN, "Anthony wanted to be honest and clear with his intentions and that's the reason for informing them of this decision now. That's in the best interests of both Anthony's and the organization's future."
With Davis' request now on the table, the race to try and acquire him will be intense. The big man is one of the best players in the league, and countless teams will likely place calls to the Pelicans. But as of right now the leading contenders are likely the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers.
The Celtics, however, cannot trade for Davis until the summer due to salary cap rules that would prevent them from having both Davis and Kyrie Irving on their roster. So prior to this season's trade deadline, the Lakers have an advantage. But what would a deal look like? According to Broderick Turner and Tania Ganguli, it would cost the Lakers a number of their young players. Via the Los Angeles Times:
The New Orleans Pelicans are open to trading Anthony Davis to the Lakers — but it'll come at a hefty price.
According to sources unauthorized to speak publicly on the deal, a Lakers offer for Davis would have to start with Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac and a first-round draft pick. Davis requested a trade from the Pelicans last week.
The Lakers have gone through this situation a few times in recent years, as they tried to acquire Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. They obviously didn't get either of those two stars, but figure to be all in with their pursuit of Davis, who would be the perfect partner for LeBron James.
According to a recent report, the Lakers would be willing to part with some combination of Ball, Kuzma and Brandon Ingram in order to get another star, which fits with the reported price for Davis.
And really, that's only fair. Davis is arguably the best big man in the league, and even with his requested trade, teams won't be able to get him without a substantial package of young players and picks. Whether the Lakers, who face the 76ers on Tuesday (10:30 p.m. ET -- watch on fuboTV with the NBA League Pass extension), have enough to get Davis, however, remains to be seen.