Lakers pull out of Anthony Davis trade talks amid 'outrageous' requests by Pelicans
https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la-sp-lakers-anthony-davis-trade-talks-20190205-story.html
The Lakers have “pulled out” of any more conversations in trying to acquire New Orleans All-Star Anthony Davis because of the Pelican’s “outrageous” trade requests, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly.
Magic Johnson, the Lakers president of basketball operations, told New Orleans general manager Dell Demps Tuesday morning that Los Angeles had made its best offer that the Pelicans had wanted, but that the Lakers were not willing to add anything else and would be moving on, a person said.
The Lakers were not going to give the Pelicans the six to eight draft picks they wanted for Davis, the person said, knowing that the four first-round picks and second-round picks were more than the Lakers would offer.
Late Monday night, the Lakers changed their offer at the request of the Pelicans, two people said.
The Lakers had agreed to send their entire young core of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and Ivica Zubac to the Pelicans, as well as veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the people said.
The Lakers were also winning to also send the Pelicans two first-round draft picks.
And the Lakers were willing to give the Pelicans the salary-cap relief they wanted by taking back Solomon Hill, who has another year left on his deal after this season for $12.7 million.
The Lakers had made several changes to their proposals for the Pelicans, taking out a package that had included Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley and Lance Stephenson, the person said.
“They wanted more and more and more,” said one person. “There was no more to give. They had cap-relief with Hill being in the deal. But the more they wanted the more it because outrageous and unrealistic.”
One person said the Pelicans are hopeful that if Davis isn’t traded by the NBA’s Thursday noon (Pacific Time) deadline, that he’ll want to stay and play for the Pelicans going forward.
“But that’s not going to happen,” the person said. “AD is not changing his mind.”
After the Lakers’ shoot-around in preparation for Tuesday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers, LeBron James was asked how he has followed the Davis trade sage.
James, who will play against the Pacers after missing Saturday night’s game at Golden State because of what the Lakers called “load management,” said he follows it like every other player.
“I kind of tend not to play much fantasy basketball, that’s how I’ve always been,” James said. “If something were to occur with our team, whether it’s him or it’s somebody else throughout the trade deadline, we’ll approach it then. But right now this is the group that we have and we’re missing a key point of our team right now with Zo (Ball) being out so we have to win ballgames.”
The Lakers have been adamant that they will not get into a bidding war for Davis this summer with the Boston Celtics, who are another team that has been associated with Davis, according to one person.
The Lakers have even said if the Pelicans revisit the trade during the summer that Los Angeles’ offer will be less than what it is now.
“We all know this is a business – it is a business – you go out and you prepare as a professional,” James said. “That’s what you’re supposed to do. It’s a business so right now this is who we have, this is my group, this is the group I’m trying to lead out there to try and win ballgames. That’s all I’ve ever done. I always have.
“I’ve had teammates every year be a part of trade deadline discussions and things of that nature and we’ve always figured out to just shield that away and play the game. So, if guys happen to get traded, we know that’s the business side of things. It definitely hurts to lose teammates, especially at this point in the season, but it’s the business and it doesn’t mean that you’re fired and you don’t have a job, things of that nature, you still have a job, you’re still able to play the game that you love.”
; Im not feeling anything the Lakers is offering right now....
