2019 NBA Trade Deadline: 10 teams that should trade for Anthony Davis
4. Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets don’t have the pieces to contend for a title right now, even with Anthony Davis on board, but they’d have an easier path to the Finals in the East and armed with ample amounts of cap space this summer, they could make moves for another superstar on a max deal.
If the Nets get an inkling that this is a possibility in a summer where Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and so many other marquee names will become available, they could throw out a number of different offers to catch New Orleans’ attention.
Something like D’Angelo Russell, Jarrett Allen, Allen Crabbe and a 2019 first round pick is a decent starting point:
Russell is finally making the leap many expected of him for years now, averaging 19.2 points, 6.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game to submit his name as a dark horse All-Star candidate. He’s still only 22 years old and as a restricted free agent, the Pelicans would have the inside track to re-sign him.
Allen is a promising rim deterrent at only 20 years old, averaging 11.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in just his second year. He looks the part of franchise center, so when paired with another building block like Russell, it’d take a change of pace from general manager Sean Marks for a deal like this to happen.
Allen Crabbe has an $18.5 million player option for next season that will drastically overpay him, but if the Pelicans opt for a full-scale rebuild through youth, they won’t be in a rush to free up cap space. Crabbe would provide 3-point shooting in the interim, but if the Pelicans preferred not to pay his 2019-20 salary, DeMarre Carroll is a suitable substitute:
In either scenario, NOLA gets a veteran 3-point shooter on a contract set to expire soon. Carroll is a respected locker room presence, with a 3-and-D skill-set and an expiring contract. Throw in a first-rounder, which will probably be more valuable in 2019 or well into the distant future than it would be anywhere in between, and perhaps the Pelicans bite.
There are other alternatives, should Brooklyn have tremors about moving its own first round pick now that the last remnants of the disastrous Kevin Garnett–Paul Pierce trade are finally buried. One would be including sharpshooter Joe Harris and veteran backup Ed Davis instead of Carroll/Crabbe and the first-rounder:
While draft picks are great, the Nets’ 2019 selection would currently be outside the lottery — less than optimal standing for a player of Anthony Davis’ caliber, even with young talent like Russell and Allen attached.
In this deal, the Pelicans get a well-established 3-point marksman in Harris, who is canning 46.8 percent of his 5.1 long range attempts per game this season. Ed Davis, an expiring contract, is a high-energy player off the bench who could be cut loose over the summer or re-signed for cheap.
If Russell isn’t of interest to NOLA, perhaps subbing in the currently injured Caris LeVert would get the job done:
This is the “worst-case” scenario for Brooklyn, as giving up the two most important pieces of an ongoing rebuild is a tough price to pay, especially with a first-rounder attached. However, it’d be more than worth it for AD’s talents, especially if his presence could get another star to join their ranks in free agency.
LeVert was averaging 18.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game before his injury, and is expected back soon. As a breakout star in the making, he’s exactly the kind of two-way wing the Pelicans have needed for years.
The biggest obstacle is the Pelicans might do better elsewhere, even if the Nets grit their teeth and offer both LeVert and Allen. This may be a risky path for Brooklyn too, since there’s no guarantee other stars would follow to the less glamorous New York franchise, even with tons of cap space to spare.