With an impending deal for Anthony Davis looking closer to getting done, now may be the Portland Trail Blazers’ last opportunity to grab the superstar.
Recently, the Portland Trail Blazers were reported as dark horses in the race for Anthony Davis. However, the last 24 hours have been filled with a flurry of rumors and tweets suggesting teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn nets may be nearing completing a deal.
For all the potential trades discussed in the following slides, they will all hinge around the New Orleans Pelicans requested package in return. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN first reported on Pelicans’ president of basketball operations David Griffin’s desires in a deal for Davis.
"“Griffin is pursuing a combination of assets that include an All-Star player, a young player with All-Star potential and two first-round picks, league sources said. Those wants are on a sliding scale. For example, the better the player, the softer the requests on the draft picks — and vice versa.” -Wojnarowski"
Additionally, Marc Stein of the New York Times reported that the Pelicans wish to involve a third team in a Davis trade, most likely in order to collect additional draft capital.
The Lakers have made Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and the No. 4 pick in the June 20 draft available in trade talks with the Pelicans, league sources say. New Orleans has made it known it hope to assemble a three-teams-or-more deal before surrendering Anthony Davis
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 12, 2019
Therefore, all the potential trades discussed will fufill New Orleans’ requested trade parameters, with three teams and all-star caliber talent involved. Before we dive in, remember the Portland Trail Blazers aren’t exactly the front runners in this race. To pull a deal off of this magnitude, it’s going to require some serious creativity to help position the Blazers as title contenders for years to come.