Philadelphia 76ers: A 4-team, blockbuster trade involving James Harden
By Simon Smith
New Orleans Pelicans overview
After striking gold and landing the No. 1 overall pick at the recent draft lottery, the Pelicans still have an existing problem to deal with in Anthony Davis. A six-time All-Star and three-time member of the All-NBA First Team, the 26-year-old Davis made it clear that he wants to continue his career elsewhere.
However despite a recent meeting between Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin, Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, and Davis himself, no resolution is apparent at this stage. Considering AD’s individual accomplishments thus far, and the fact that he is conceivably yet to reach his prime, the cost of dealing for the Brow is not going to be cheap.
New Orleans star Anthony Davis and Pels EVP David Griffin met this morning in Los Angeles and are expected to continue a dialogue moving forward, league sources tell ESPN. Griffin is making his case to AD on a future with the Pelicans. Davis can be a free agent next summer.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 29, 2019
While they still wish to retain him, the Pelicans nonetheless should still use this time to ascertain just what they can receive for Davis in order to properly move forward and build the team around Zion Williamson and the remainder of the roster.
In addition to Williamson, Jrue Holiday put together another excellent season, and was recently selected to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team. On top of his stellar defense, Holiday averaged a career-high 21.2 points per game while also adding 7.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 35.8 minutes per game. Soon to turn 29, Holiday still has multiple years ahead of him to perform at a high level.
So while pairing Davis alongside Williamson would make for a fascinating frontcourt duo, Griffin and the front office will clearly need to keep all their options open.