Reports: Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma headline Lakers' initial 'lowball' offer for Anthony Davis
The negotiations between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans have begun. And, predictably, the first offer on the table was rejected strongly enough to reportedly not even elicit a counter-offer.
The Anthony Davis bidding begins in LA
The Lakers offered a combination of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley and a first-round draft pick for Davis in their initial offer, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
in the Lakers first offer to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis, LA offered Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley and a first-round pick, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 2, 2019
Per The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Ball and Kuzma are interchangeable among a stable of five young Lakers available in trade talks. Brandon Ingram, Ivica Zubac and Josh Hart are the others. Lance Stephenson is also reportedly in the picture as one of the veterans the Pelicans would have had to take on.
Sources: The Lakers have offered the Pelicans two of their talented young players — among Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac, Josh Hart — with Rondo or Stephenson as core parts of a deal. For Pelicans, these have not been remotely serious offers.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2019
Apparently, this offer was not seen as remotely serious, as the Lakers have not yet offered multiple picks or salary cap relief. As one source of Charania’s called it, a “lowball.”
As the NBA trade deadline approaches on Thursday, Lakers have yet to offer multiple first-round picks in any deal, or salary cap relief, league sources tell ESPN. Lakers offering several different deal ideas, but none serious enough for a Pelicans counter yet, sources said. https://t.co/6H9ynauljJ
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 2, 2019
Sources: The Lakers have yet to place all of their assets on the table as the Pelicans listen on offers for Anthony Davis. "Lowball," one source said. Davis hasn't been cleared from his fractured left finger, but is close to a return to action.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 2, 2019
Clearly, the Lakers have a lot to work on if they don’t want Davis to go the way of Paul George or Kawhi Leonard.
Why the Pelicans rejected the Lakers’ Anthony Davis offer
It’s understandable to see the Pelicans’ point of view here. When you’re trading away your franchise’s all-time leading scorer in the prime of his career, it’s going to take more than two promising but by no means star-level players (one of whom has no desire to play for your team), two veterans on one-year contracts and a single draft pick unlikely to be near the top 10, especially if you trade Davis.
There are obviously ways for the Lakers to up their offer if they seriously want to go after Davis. They could offer one more of their young players, one fewer veteran or up the draft picks going to New Orleans. You can imagine it would probably take all three of those things.
The Lakers are widely seen as Davis’ preferred destination and the Lakers would obviously love to play Davis alongside LeBron James as they try to climb to the top of the Western Conference. Of course, this isn’t free agency. At some point, the Pelicans have to say “yes,” and it doesn’t seem like any team has offered anything close to what they want yet.
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