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NBA Trade Deadline 2019: Power ranking Anthony Davis trade packages

By Cody Williams

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 16: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans is guarded by Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriorsvat ORACLE Arena on January 16, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 16: Anthony Davis #23 of the New Orleans Pelicans is guarded by Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriorsvat ORACLE Arena on January 16, 2019 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Anthony Davis, just ahead of the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline, has requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans. What’s the best package they can get back?

Everything was all quiet on the Anthony Davis front leading up to the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline — at least until it wasn’t. On Monday, Jan. 28, many fans woke up to the news that Davis’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, had informed the New Orleans Pelicans that the superstar forward that he wants to be traded and has “no intention” of re-signing with the Pelicans, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Despite the fact that all signs pointed to Davis staying put with the Pelicans for now prior to this report, this changes everything. The request for a trade comes just 10 days before the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline, leaving plenty of time to get a deal done and adding to the always-frenetic buildup to the deadline.

Wojnarowski added to his report regarding the trade request as Paul said that Davis wants to land on a contender. That most certainly limits the potential partners that the Pelicans could speak to in regards to a potential trade. At the same time, however, that request does not preclude them from seeking out the best deal and talking to teams who aren’t contenders.

When it comes to trading an All-NBA player like Anthony Davis, the team sending him out has to look out for their best interests. In essence, they need to limit the amount of long-term damage done by losing a player of Davis’ caliber by getting the best package in return that they can get, whether that consists of established players, young assets or draft capital.

There’s no doubt that virtually every team will look to make a run at Davis if possible at the NBA Trade Deadline. Having said that, let’s take a look at the best deals the Pelicans can make in regards to what they can get in return.

5. Trade Anthony Davis to Golden State Warriors

If Anthony Davis wants to land on a contender, then the Golden State Warriors are unquestionably a destination that would make sense to him. Coming off of four-straight trips to the NBA Finals, two-straight titles and three championships in the last four years, the Warriors are at the top of the upper-echelon of the NBA hierarchy.

As the Warriors are already loaded with stars with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and even DeMarcus Cousisn, Golden State trading for Davis would truly be the rich getting richer. Having said that, it would make sense for them as it pertains to Draymond Green. Ever the enigma, Green’s performance this season has dipped and he’s far less of an asset to the Warriors than he has been in years past.

Even still, Green has solid trade value and could be used to get Davis to the Bay Area:

In truth, this isn’t close to the best package that the Pelicans could get in return for Davis as the first-round picks that Golden State would send aren’t likely to be valuable given their dominance that’s only likely to continue over the next half-decade. While that may be true, they could still end up with a nice haul from the Warriors should a deal like this materialize.

How Green would perform on a team that’s not set up like Golden State is a virtual crapshoot, but it’s a risk that New Orleans could be willing to take. Moreover, Jordan Bell has shown flashes of being a nice young player, while Shaun Livingston is nothing more than veteran cap-filler to make the money work. Again, this isn’t the ideal package for the Pelicans, but they wouldn’t be getting fleeced either.

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