Brooklyn Nets rumors: Nets not gaining traction in Anthony Davis talks

According to a report, the Brooklyn Nets have interest in dealing for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis, but aren’t gaining any momentum.

While the agent for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis has been negotiating through the media, there is a report the Brooklyn Nets have not been able to gain ground in talks with the Pelicans to acquire the unhappy three-time All-NBA selection.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Wednesday that the Nets, along with the LA Clippers, have not gained a foothold in talks with the New Orleans braintrust — a front office that now includes former Brooklyn exec Trajan Langdon as the Pelicans’ general manager.

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Wojnarowski’s report indicated the Pelicans are in separate talks with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers regarding Davis, with New Orleans reportedly interested in getting a deal done before the NBA Draft, set for June 20.

There have also been reports that Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin — the decision-maker in the Big Easy — is open to bringing an additional team into the talks in order to secure the deal he wants.

That return is an All-Star, a potential future All-Star and a bevy of draft picks.

The market for Davis, who was limited to a career-low 56 games this season due to injuries and uncertainty surrounding his situation once his trade demand went public just prior to the February deadline for deals, could heat up with the uncertainty now surrounding Kevin Durant.

The Golden State Warriors star posted on Instagram Wednesday that everyone’s worst fears had been confirmed and he had undergone surgery to repair his ruptured right Achilles’ tendon.

Kevin Durant posts on IG, confirms he ruptured his Achilles and has already had surgery, says he is determined for the road back and in the meantime will be cheering on the Warriors. pic.twitter.com/0s4QlIsodp
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) June 12, 2019

Durant is widely expected to decline his $31.5 million option for next season and enter free agency, with reports that the market for the former NBA MVP isn’t cooling off despite the injury concerns. Those reports, however, were from before confirmation of a full rupture of the tendon.

The Davis situation includes a full-on public battle between Pelicans management and Davis’ agent, Rich Paul.

Paul is doing what an agent is supposed to do, steer his client to his preferred destination, and has publicly stated Davis will only consider signing a long-term deal with the Los Angeles Lakers or the New York Knicks.

Per Scott Kushner in the The Advocate of Baton Rouge, La., that damages the leverage the Pelicans may have with other teams — including the Nets — because they would be running the risk of mortgaging their future for a player who would be on a one-year rental. Davis’ contract expires at the end of the 2019-20 season.

There is recent precedent for teams rolling the dice on such a deal anyway.

The Oklahoma City Thunder got Paul George from the Indiana Pacers and wound up retaining him on a max deal, while the Toronto Raptors are in the process of the same gambit with Kawhi Leonard after getting him from the San Antonio Spurs last summer.

Paul told Sports Illustrated‘s S.L. Price in a piece that was published Wednesday that the Lakers hold a special cachet for Davis.

"“This is Jennifer Lopez! I mean, who would you rather me marry? The Lakers are Jennifer Lopez. You don’t want me to date Jennifer Lopez? Give me a reason I shouldn’t date J-Lo!”"

The Lakers have reportedly centered their package around Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, two players still on their rookie contracts, while trying to retain Kyle Kuzma.

That might not get it done.

The Celtics, meanwhile, are in a situation that is all sorts of fluid. The hope is that landing Davis will entice Kyrie Irving — who will likely decline his $21 million option for next season in pursuit of a max deal in free agency that will start at $33 million next season — to remain in Boston.

Irving, of course, has widely been rumored to have a preference to sign with Brooklyn.

A deal with the Nets for Davis could also have to be worked out through a third team. Brooklyn has the young All-Star, sort of, in D’Angelo Russell, who would have to agree to a sign-and-trade to go to the Pelicans — a deal that doesn’t fit Griffin’s pre-draft preference.

The Nets also have a couple of young potential All-Stars in Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen, but won’t have a first-round pick to trade until 2022 after agreeing to a deal to send their 2020 pick (with lottery protection) to the Atlanta Hawks in order to offload Allen Crabbe‘s $18.5 million expiring contract.

Under the NBA’s so-called Stepien Rule, teams are prohibited from trading first-round picks in consecutive years, except as part of a pick-swap scenario.

Such a scenario might not play out well for the Pelicans, who would presumably be rebuilding around projected No. 1 pick Zion Williamson and might be a lottery team for the near term.

As for the Clippers gaining traction with New Orleans, it’s hard to envision what sort of a package LA could produce that would check off all of Griffin’s boxes. The Clips don’t have a young All-Star and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is about the closest thing they have to a future All-Star.

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