Report: Pelicans exploring multi-team trades for Anthony Davis

The New Orleans Pelicans are actively exploring possible trade scenarios for Anthony Davis, and it sounds like there is a good chance any deal for the star big man could involve more than one other team.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin has been informing teams of the type of package he wants for Davis, and he seems skeptical that the desired return will come from a single team. Front office executives who have exchanged dialogue with Griffin are under the impression that he is working on multi-team trade scenarios.

As an example, Wojnarowski said the Los Angeles Lakers might be able to find another team that values their young players more than the Pelicans, or a team like the New York Knicks could trade draft picks to a third team in exchange for players New Orleans might be interested in. The Lakers, Knicks, Clippers and Nets are the four teams that have had conversations with Griffin thus far, while the Boston Celtics remain interested in Davis but may wait to see how the Kyrie Irving situation plays out.

It remains to be seen exactly how much teams will be willing to give up for Davis, and the fact that he can opt out of his contract after next season will impact his market. Even if he would be willing to sign a long-term deal with a team like the Clippers, there has already been talk that they do not want to part with one of their young players. The situation could be similar with the Celtics, who may want to do everything they can to keep Jayson Tatum.