Anthony Davis "doesn’t want to be in New Orleans any longer," according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. After Davis parted ways with longtime agent Thad Foucher to sign with Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, rumors began circulating that AD wanted to land in L.A. Here's the full quote from Stephen A. Smith, speaking on ESPN’s Get Up!: "He definitely wants out. He signed with Klutch Sports. Anthony Davis doesn’t want to be in New Orleans any longer. Whether it’s definitively the Los Angeles Lakers I’m not so sure. I would keep Golden State and Boston in the mix... There is no question that this will in all likelihood be his last season in New Orleans." https://clutchpoints.com/pelicans-rumors-stephen-a-smith-says-warriors-celtics-anthony-davis/ “He definitely wants out. He signed with Klutch Sports. Anthony Davis doesn’t want to be in New Orleans any longer. Whether it’s definitively the Los Angeles Lakers I’m not so sure.” “I would keep Golden State and Boston in the mix because Golden State isn’t sure what Kevin Durant is going to want to do and Boston obviously has the requisite pieces to put together to make sure they can get the player of the quality of an Anthony Davis. So I would put Golden State and Boston as possibilities alongside L.A. but there is no question that Anthony Davis, this will in all likelihood be his last season in New Orleans.”
the league should just relocate some more teams to LA in order to accomodate all these superstars. maybe start with the cavs and twolves? Long Beach Cavaliers (Tha LBC) and Santa Monica PalmtreeWolves
This was so predictable. The NBA has a real problem with star player movement. Some is okay....... but not to the degree we are seeing......... Leonard, Butler, Durant, James, Irving and George all have forced a trade or left as a free agent from a smaller market to a bigger one in the last 24 months. That is 6 of the top 20 players in the league and doesn't account for the inevitable Davis and Giannis power plays. It is just too much. How are places like Indy, New Orleans, Cleveland, Detroit, San Antonio and a half dozen other teams going to keep fans long term? Why be a Pacer fan or a Milwaukee fan if you know that you are going to lose any star player that your team develops?
I agree though I wonder if New Orleans should try to trade AD now....or wait until February or next summer? If you can bring back a package of Ball, Ingram, KCP (for salary matching purposes), 2019 1st and 2021 1st it should be enough....right?
To be fair, Durant moved to Oakland because they were a dynasty. Kawhi's situation was aggravated by a messed up situation... he should have been a Spur for life. Irving was traded for the best deal because he had issues with Lebron. Butler also... it was unhappiness with the squad around him. I think their markets weren't as high a factor in their decision. That said, it doesn't change where these stars are migrating. AD... the Pels haven't really built a good team around him. The supermax has scared some teams from keeping their stars but if it's one team it should have helped... it's the Pels. But in this Warriors era, you can't compete without building a superteam and big markets are more likely to offer that gravity. Sigh... imagine if KD stayed in OKC after that tremendous WCF. We need a league where teams like the current Nuggets have a chance to be an upstart. There's so much power concentration in the west also. Fingers crossed, maybe the Bucks make some noise in the East. Coach Bud might make it happen.
A player can always find excuses to leave. I understand what you are saying, but the reality is that in everyone of those cases the players either demanded a trade or left as free agents to major markets, except George. Also, if you believe that Butler and Irving left because of the team around them.... no, I know that isn't the case. I really do not know the answer either..... the league feasts on movement and trades, but there is a point that goes to far. I cannot say that I would be very happy or a big fan of the NBA if I were a Wolves or Pacers or Jazz fan. It just isn't worth it........ couple that with blatant officiating bias.
Yeah, the league really has a problem right now.You can't function when you half your teams are of zero consequence. Fans in those markets will start to get tired of getting AAA basketball and being told to like it. They may as well make it official and enact relegation like they do in Europe. The top 15 teams get to play in the NBA, the other 15 are just gonna have to be happy to have a chance to get back in the NBA.
Getting rid of the max salary while keeping other bird rights and salary cap rules fixes all of this. If the Pels were able to offer AD a $50M/year deal, he wouldn't be going anywhere. It would also immediately break up super teams. Maybe KD/Klay/Draymond take a little less to stay in the bay area but will they accept $15M less a year?
That's the honest truth. I know the NBPA wants a middle class, but for parity it is literally the worst. Remove the max salary.
I've been saying this for years but, unfortunately, the max salary will never go away. Maybe raising it to 50% of the cap would be enough to make things right.
The pelicans did nothing for a good number of years that AD were there being injured. AD put up with that team long enough. Those wasted seasons where he sat on the bench in season-ending injuries should've netted him better teammates. The time they did get a superstar teammate for AD they tried to low-ball him and manage to get him to sign with the warriors for the minimum.
Thank god Hakeem's team became one of the better managed teams today. If not I'd be miserable, or worse, a bandwagon-fan.
