Lakers Offer Lonzo Ball, Others To Get LeBron His Superstar Sidekick - Report
With less than a week to go before the NBA trade deadline, the first formal offer from the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans has come in.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped a Woj Bomb late Friday when he revealed the details of what the Lakers are willing to give up to acquire the six-time All-Star.
The initial trade offer reportedly featured guards Lonzo Ball and Rajon Rondo, forwards Kyle Kuzma and Michael Beasley and a first-round draft pick.
in the Lakers first offer to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis, LA offered Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley and a first-round pick, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 2, 2019
Ball and Kuzma are talented young prospects, but the rest of the offer would likely even make Davis say, “Hey, I’m worth more than that!”
Rondo and Beasley are both over 30, and they wouldn’t figure into the Pelicans’ future, while a single first-round pick won’t move the needle much.
— #RingerNBA (@ringernba) February 2, 2019
Wojnarowski said every proposal made by the Lakers so far has included just two of the team’s young players — Ball, Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and Ivica Zubac.
Those proposals also include just one first-round pick. The Pelicans are looking to obtain at least three of the Lakers’ young players and multiple first-round picks, in addition to salary cap relief.
As the NBA trade deadline approaches on Thursday, Lakers have yet to offer multiple first-round picks in any deal, or salary cap relief, league sources tell ESPN. Lakers offering several different deal ideas, but none serious enough for a Pelicans counter yet, sources said. https://t.co/6H9ynauljJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 2, 2019
The Pelicans are in no rush to deal Davis ahead of the trade deadline Thursday and have insisted that they need to be “blown away” in order to trade him in this short window.
With Davis signed through the 2019-20 season, they could wait until after this season to trade him as there would be more suitors at that point.
On Friday, Davis spoke publicly for the first time since his trade request went public. He said his legacy is what matters more than money, and he would be giving up money by leaving the Pelicans as they are the only team who can offer him the “supermax” contract.
“I gave the city, organization, fans everything I feel like I could,” Davis told reporters. “I don’t know how long I’m gonna play this game. People’s careers are short. And I feel like it’s my time to move on. …
“I’m all about legacy. The money comes and goes. And when I get done playing or leave this earth, what is my legacy gonna be?”
Davis has yet to play since his trade request due to an injured finger. The Pelicans reportedly are considering shutting him down for the rest of the season if nothing happens by the trade deadline.
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