Photo Credit: Daily Express

Anthony Davis’ tenure with the Pelicans is all but over as he is set to be a free agent in 2021. Davis’ future suitor already seems to be the biggest story of this year as many teams are preparing to gut their rosters in order to trade for the superstar. Many stars have already begun pitching to the 5x all-star. LeBron described their possible team-up as “amazing”, and Davis even stated he was ‘flattered’ but remains focused on his current team. Giannis Antetokounmpo even told Davis to “come to the bucks” after their recent matchup. Teams will have to remain patient as the Pelicans have stated he is not up for trade, “not even for Beyoncé.”

Los Angeles Lakers:

Every year the Lakers are painted like the front-runner to receive the biggest free agents and usually come up empty, but they finally hit the jackpot as they were able to sign the biggest free agent of them all, LeBron James. The Lakers appear to be the front-runner thus far as Anthony Davis this year hired Rich Paul who also happens to be LeBron’s agent and lifelong friend. Rajon Rondo, who happens to be one of Davis’ favorite teammates, also made the transition to the Lakers just this past year as it was reported that Davis was “wasn’t pleased”, that contract talks between Rondo and the Pelicans deteriorated without Davis’ knowledge. The Lakers have a lot of cap room to work with as they have a max contract slot and a number of assets to trade for in the Lakers young core of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, Kyle Kuzma, and veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. This may be viewed as a stretch but just this past summer, Davis purchased a $7.5-million-dollar home in Los Angeles, which could be a sign of future plans.

Boston Celtics:

The Boston Celtics have been entertaining the idea of trading for Anthony Davis for a number of years now. Unfortunately, the Celtics will not be able to offer any trade for Davis until Kyrie Irving signs in July of 2019 due to the “designated player rule”, which states that NBA teams are not allowed to trade for two players who are already signed to other teams. When July comes around the Celtics will be in great position to trade for Davis as they reside in the Eastern Conference which is opposite to the Pelicans who are in the West which means they would not strengthen a team that they would have to face four times a year. In addition, they have a number of assets with four future draft picks, young stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, all-star veteran Gordon Hayward, and an energetic young guard in Terry Rozier. The Celtics would be able to offer a trade that would be hard to turn down as the Pelicans will face increased pressure to get something out of Davis before their inevitable end.

New York Knicks:

Another team that always seems to be in the running for major free agents is the New York Knicks, and rightfully so who wouldn’t want to play in the Garden which is often referred to as the “Mecca of Basketball.” With Kristaps Porzingis out for the majority of the year, the Knicks find themselves in a lottery position that may turn out to be a lottery pick as they currently sit two games ahead of the last place in the NBA. With this upcoming draft class being headlined by college stars namely Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett, this lottery pick has the potential to turn into an attractive trade asset that could land them Anthony Davis. If the Knicks are able to move some contracts around they will be able to clear up some room for a max slot that could also land them a marquee free agent such as Kevin Durant which would make New York a much more enticing destination for Anthony Davis, if he were to request a trade. Although cap space may be an issue, with Porzingis.

Los Angeles Clippers:

Since I mentioned that Davis had bought a multi-million-dollar home in LA 5 months ago it’s only fair that I include the other franchise that resides in Los Angeles, the Clippers. The Clippers have surprised many fans this year after starting off with a 17-13 record and currently rank 6th in the Western Conference. The Clippers currently have a solid team short of a superstar who can propel them into championship contention. With two max slots at their disposal, the Clippers are able to sign a Superstar such as Kawhi Leonard or even Kevin Durant in this upcoming free agency period. If that is accomplished, they would be a hard option to turn down for Davis when it is his time to sign with a new team.

It’s way too early to even start thinking about Anthony Davis’ future as he still has two years remaining on his contract, but his free agency decision or any trade he is dealt with will be sure to change the landscape of the league as teams look to finally dethrone the three-time champions Golden State Warriors, and become the league’s next “Super Team.”