The Heat is expected to inquire about Anthony Davis. But these are the two obstacles
The Heat is expected to inquire about a trade for Anthony Davis, but two major obstacles loom in the wake of the New Orleans Pelicans All-Star requesting a trade:
▪ Davis, a power forward/center who’s considered among the game’s best players, can choose where he wants to play as a free agent in 2020 and his agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN on Monday: “Anthony wants to be traded to a team that allows him a chance to win consistently and compete for a championship.”
The Heat is not considered a championship contender and trading for Davis would deplete Miami of young assets needed to augment the roster around him.
Convincing Davis to re-sign with the Heat — instead of joining LeBron James with the Lakers — would be an uphill battle. Paul represents both Davis and James and the thinking is that Paul would like Davis to be paired with James in Los Angeles. James, in the first year of a four-year contract, has made clear he would like the Lakers to trade for Davis.
▪ One front office official with another team said the Heat likely would not have attractive enough assets to entice New Orleans, especially if the Pelicans wait until July 1, when Boston would become an option for trade for him.
Boston cannot trade for Davis until July 1 because collective bargaining agreement rules wouldn’t allow both Kyrie Irving’s and Davis’ contracts to be on a roster together under the designated rookie prevention provision.
ESPN reported that the Pelicans feel no pressure to trade Davis before the Feb. 7 trade deadline, and coach Alvin Gentry told New Orleans media that Davis told him he will play out the season. He has been sidelined with a fractured finger but is expected to return as early as this weekend.
Davis, a five-time All-Star, is averaging 29.3 points and 13.3 rebounds this season.
Any Heat package likely would include Josh Richardson plus Justise Winslow or Bam Adebayo — and possibly both — as well as a No. 1 draft pick and a veteran player, perhaps Goran Dragic. And the Heat likely would need to take back another Pelicans contract to make the numbers work within cap parameters.
But trading Winslow before July 1 is complicated.
For trade purposes, the Winslow salary of $3.5 million this season would count as $10.6M towards incoming salary for teams interested in acquiring the forward. That higher amount reflects the average in the last year of his rookie contract and new extension but would complicate any trade involving him.
The Lakers and Knicks are expected to present offers to the Pelicans, Yahoo’s Chris Haynes reported.
The Los Angeles Times has reported that any Lakers offer for Davis likely will need to start with Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac and a No. 1 draft pick.
Davis, 25, is earning $25.4 million this season and $27.1 million next season. He’s expected to bypass a $28.7 million player option in 2020-21 to become a free agent or sign an extension with a team that acquires him.
Since LeBron James returned to Cleveland in 2014, the Heat has come up short in the pursuit of several All-Star players, including unsuccessful trade pursuits of Jimmy Butler and free agent pursuits of Kevin Durant and Gordon Hayward.
The Heat never made a strong push to trade for All-Star Kawhi Leonard last summer because it did not believe it had a good chance of getting him to re-sign when he’s eligible for free agency this summer. The Toronto Raptors took that risk, acquiring him from the Spurs, but the Clippers are considered to be a major player for Leonard this summer.
The Heat will be over the cap this summer but is poised to have more than $40 million in space in the summer of 2020.
If the Heat doesn’t land Davis, the top projected free agents for 2020 include Golden State’s Draymond Green and San Antonio’s DeMar DeRozan.
This story was originally published January 28, 2019 at 3:52 PM.
