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Boston Celtics Receive: Anthony Davis

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, No. 20 pick, 2020 first-round pick (via Memphis; top-six protection in 2020; unprotected in 2021)

When It Happens: Technically, whenever.

Boston's Davis chase received two boons during the lottery: New York didn't get Zion Williamson, and Memphis' first-round obligation not only rolled over to 2020, but the Grizzlies also ended up in a spot, at No. 2, that should coax them into starting over and ascribing more value to next year's top-six protection and 2021's unprotected status.

This more than offsets the Lakers climbing to the No. 4 spot. The Celtics can still blow every other potential Davis package out of the water. Williamson's fate was the only threat to their bargaining throne, and that pitfall is now neutralized courtesy of the Pelicans themselves.

Whether the Celtics will have the drive to go all-out for Davis is a separate matter. Cashing in all of their best trade chips doesn't make as much sense if Kyrie Irving (player option) bolts. As former Atlanta Hawks general manager Wes Wilcox told Bleacher Report's Howard Beck on The Full 48 podcast:

"If [Gordon] Hayward was better, and you had [Al] Horford, then you might be able to say 'Anthony Davis, Al Horford, Gordon Hayward, trade our young our pieces, we're going to be the best team in the East, even [after] giving up all these young pieces without having Kyrie. But that just doesn't seem to be a realistic path toward contention.

"One thing we know about the Boston Celtics: They are clearly focused on not just contention, but winning championships. And so the most realistic path to a championship is two great players in their prime, two top-10 players in their prime. It just doesn't seem like, short of Kyrie, that there's a path for Boston to do that and realistically acquire Anthony Davis."

That line of thinking forces the Celtics to choose between two scenarios: Do they go after Davis to guarantee Irving's return? Or do they wait for Irving's free agency to play out before surrendering the moon for Davis, who will hit the open market in 2020?

Team president Danny Ainge may have already made his decision. He wants Irving back in Boston and believes acquiring Davis will earn the point guard's signature, according to The Athletic's Frank Isola.

Striking that early gives the Celtics an advantage. Both the Knicks and Lakers will prefer to use their cap space—more on this in a second—before landing Davis. They can reach an agreement with the Pelicans in principle and carry on with their offseason business, but an immediate pitch from the Celtics strong-arms them into at least upping their antes.

Exact parameters of any AD-to-Boston deal are up in the air. The Celtics won't want to give up both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Tossing in this year's Sacramento Kings pick (No. 14) and Robert Williams might be enough to yank Brown from the equation, but it'll take a miracle for Boston to push this through without Tatum.

The Pelicans should be happy with this return. They're getting two cornerstone prospects, a gamer in Marcus Smart and two additional first-round picks—one of which may wind up being a top-seven selection in 2020 or even better than that in 2021. With Williamson and Jrue Holiday already in tow, New Orleans won't have to worry about bottoming out in the post-Davis era.