Ferry was hired last summer. There is a reason you didn't hear much about it, the Pelicans did not exact want to advertise his hiring. He is technically a special assistant to the GM, but in reality has some sway with ownership.
If the Lakers want to trade Kuzma, Ingram, Ball, Hart...... Four first round draft picks and take and stretch Solomon Hill, so they can pair Anthony Davis with a 34 year old LeBron James with a guy that has already missed 90 games in 5 years (Davis)..... have fun with that. They better have a lot of league minimum players on speed dial and be prepared to tank a dozen or more games that Davis misses.
This is similar to the Jimmy Butler saga in Minnesota. Let’s see if the Pelicans brass has the balls to fire Demps prior to trading Davis, unlike Minnesota and Thibodeau.
Playing devil's advocate fir a second, bur would Ainge say that now just to mess with the Lakers, knowing full well the Celtics won't pursue AD in the off season?
Tonight Murray, Milsap, Harris, Porter Jr and IT will be out for the Nuggets. Doesnt it look like a good trade package?
If I'm the Pelicans, I ask for Ingram, Kuzma, Zubac, Stephenson, Beasley, and two 1st-rounders (unprotected) for Davis and Soloman Hill. That's a very respectable haul. No point in pushing for Ball as he'll want out, and I wouldnt accept Rondo. Ingram, Kuzma, and Zubac should hopefully do well to mitigate the loss of Davis and make for some really rotations with Mirotic, Holiday, Randle, etc. As far as I'm concerned, the Pels actually seem to be in a decent position with a player whose reputation far exceeds his on-court production. Davis is, no doubt, a top player in the NBA, but he has not earned his superstar designation to date and I think can be replaced with a good set of developing players.
Murray and Harris have been out for some games i think, but Harris maybe played the last one...? Porter jr i actually forgot he was in the nba lol, same for Thomas. The fact that Millsap (and his big expiring contract) is out though...
None of those Lakers young players will be top-25 players in the nba. Result of the trade: Ball goes to Suns Ingram want max, Knicks, Mavs or Kings can offer. Pelicans get Kuzma at the end. Pelicans forever re-build.
Why would the Lakers up the offer when they already know AD wants to be there in a year? Lakers are not winning anything this year. Why give up all your young players for a shot next year? I don't get the logic. Unless they think Lebron's window is closing?
Lebron window IS closing, for as durable as he is, he's 34 and one injury away from being done. If they wait for Davis to enter free agency, they would get him when Lebron will be 36, in two years a lot of things can happen, Davis might change his mind too.
LeBron is on borrowed time. Who knows what will happen in the summer as well, it would be stupid of the Lakers to wait. They aren't going anywhere with Kuzma, Ingram and Ball anyways.
The list is a con. I posted the list was made up of teams that would not have the assets to get Davis. The Pelicans asked for a list days ago. Magically the list comes out and is full of teams that are not a match for Davis. That isn’t a coincidence. The Rockets not being on the list means nothing. At this point they are trying to force a deal to LA. There is mutual pressure, the Lakers know if they don’t get him by this summer, he won’t be a Laker any time soon be the Lakers won’t hold the cap space another year and waste the tail end of LeBron’s prime. James is 34 and there is pressure to win now.
You really expect the Lakers to not use the cap space for another 18 months and hope Davis hasn’t had a change of heart? LeBron will be almost 36 by then and Davis will have played for another organization. If Davis isn’t on the Lakers by the deadline, his chances of being traded to the Lakers go down. If Davis isn’t on the Lakers by training camp, he isn’t going to be a Laker at all. Everyone was excited with the thought of getting LeBron, and the Lakers got him. However he is getting up there in age quickly. Players after 34-35 typically see a decent decline.
Just don't see what the Pelicans get by dealing him before the deadline. I'd wait to draft night and see if the Knicks bite on giving up their pick or if some other team desperate to keep their star makes a move.
