:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62957157/ad_warmup_lakers.0.jpg)
The next few weeks are going to be filled with Lakers trade rumors, ranging from whether or not the team can actually put together a deal for Anthony Davis, to if they’ll have a quieter, less climactic deadline that sees them try to acquire a shooter. The team even might not make any moves at all — as unlikely as that may seem in the wake of the Woj nukes going off all over Twitter.
If you want to keep up with all of it, bookmark this page, as we’ll be updating throughout the lead-up to the Feb. 7 NBA trade deadline with all of the latest news and rumors about the Lakers’ plans. Stay tuned below, and now, on to the trade rumors:
Thursday, Feb. 7 — DEADLINE DAY
The biggest news of the day: Anthony Davis will not be a Laker until July at the earliest, if ever:
Anthony Davis’ agent Rich Paul tells me Davis is not being traded today
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) February 7, 2019
- The Lakers have traded Ivica Zubac and Michael Beasley to the Clippers for Mike Muscala — and opened up a roster spot in the process...
- The Lakers are now interested in Carmelo Anthony to fill their open roster spot
Wednesday, Feb. 6
Marc Stein of the New York Times went on a lengthy tweet-thread with the latest updates on Davis’ thinking on the eve of the trade deadline, and they’re worth taking a look at with just 17 hours to go until trade season is over:
And whether he is traded before Thursday's 3 PM trade deadline or in the offseason, league sources say, Davis intends to play out the remainder of his current contract and become a free agent in 2020 no matter where he lands.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 7, 2019
Davis, I'm told, prefers becoming a free agent in July 2020 to signing an extension with any team that acquires him
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 7, 2019
The Knicks could still try to trade for Davis before the deadline or wait until after the draft lottery in May, when the world will know how strong their top pick in June is. Either way, New York has ample encouragement to pursue a Davis trade before its big free-agent summer
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 7, 2019
Sources say Davis, meanwhile, remains adamant that he will not sign a long-term deal with Boston if the Celtics trade for him in July and that he would like to play out the rest of the season for the Pelicans if there's no trade by tomorrow's deadline
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 7, 2019
The Pelicans have not yet disclosed their intentions regarding Davis should they elect to keep him past Thursday's 3 PM deadline. Davis wanted to play in both of New Orleans' games this week but was understandably held out by the Pelicans
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 7, 2019
There was also an update on the Lakers’ rumored interest in Trevor Ariza from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN — it seems they won’t be able to consummate it:
Lakers are interested, but Trevor Ariza and Washington Wizards remain in each's future plans, league sources tell ESPN. Ariza is enthusiastic about re-signing with Washington. Wizards' trades creating financial flexibility that'll make it easier to bring Ariza back on new deal
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 7, 2019
More rumors:
- The Lakers are reportedly unlikely to include a third first-round pick for Anthony Davis and are “losing some hope” that Pelicans will trade with them
- Anthony Davis didn’t demand to be traded before the deadline and will reportedly test free agency in 2020
- The Pelicans are preventing Anthony Davis from making a return to their lineup, and Davis reportedly might file a grievance if the Pelicans don’t trade him and still don’t play him after the deadline.
- The Pelicans have yet to respond to the Lakers’ latest trade offer for Anthony Davis
- Lonzo Ball wanting to go to Suns will reportedly have “no bearing” on how the Lakers approach trade talks for Anthony Davis with the Pelicans
- The Celtics have talked “extensively” with the Pelicans about trade packages for Anthony Davis that would include Jayson Tatum
Tuesday, Feb. 5
- The Lakers have pulled out of trade talks for Anthony Davis after calling the Pelicans’ requests “outrageous.” The Lakers reportedly offered their entire young core and salary relief, but the Pelicans wanted 6-8 draft picks.”
- The Lakers are reportedly still interested in Trevor Ariza if the Wizards make him available at the NBA trade deadline
- The Lakers are trading Svi Mykhailiuk and a second-round pick to the Pistons for Reggie Bullock
Monday, Feb. 4
- The Pelicans want the Lakers to offer them four first-round draft picks and “overwhelm” them with their next trade offer for Anthony Davis
- The Lakers are reportedly “pessimistic” that they can deal for Anthony Davis before the NBA trade deadline
- The Lakers are reportedly offering Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Michael Beasley, and two first round picks for Anthony Davis. They are also willing to take on Solomon Hill’s contract
- There are reportedly “a handful” of teams that Anthony Davis would re-sign with besides the Lakers — including the Milwaukee Bucks and LA Clippers — but the Celtics aren’t on the list
- The Lakers have reportedly discussed trading Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for Jabari Parker
- LaVar Ball says that if the Lakers are going to trade Lonzo Ball for Anthony Davis, he wants Lonzo sent to the Phoenix Suns
Sunday, Feb. 3
- DeAndre Jordan reportedly wants to return to Los Angeles, and the Lakers are one possible landing spot
- LeBron James is just as ready to hear about the next Anthony Davis rumors as the rest of us are
Saturday, Feb. 2
- JaVale McGee, Michael Beasley and Josh Hart reportedly had to be “separated” from Luke Walton during a “heated” exchange following the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors that other reporters aren’t saying was that heated at all so who the hell knows what is happening
- The Pelicans are reportedly expected to ask the Lakers to include two first-round picks and take back another player in any Anthony Davis trade
- The Lakers have reportedly reached out to the Pistons about possibly trading for Reggie Bullock
Friday, Feb. 1
- The Lakers are reportedly offering the Pelicans two of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Ivica Zubac with Rajon Rondo, Michael Beasley and a first-round pick for Anthony Davis
- Anthony Davis Sr. says he would never want his son to play for the Celtics after how they treated Isaiah Thomas
- Anthony Davis says he isn’t demanding a trade to any specific team and claimed he never wanted his trade request to go public.
- LeBron James doesn’t want to talk about potentially playing with Anthony Davis until the Lakers trade for him.
- The Chicago Bulls waive Carmelo Antony, and if the Lakers clear up a roster spot in an Anthony Davis trade or some other deal, they could be interested
Thursday, Jan. 31
- The Lakers are reportedly in contact with the Pelicans and have presented five different trade scenarios for Anthony Davis
- The Lakers have reportedly offered Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac and a first-round pick for Anthony Davis
- Lonzo Ball prefers a move to Phoenix over New Orleans, Suns have mutual interest
Wednesday, Jan. 30
- Pelicans GM Dell Demps is reportedly “not picking up his phone” for Anthony Davis trade proposals
- The Pelicans reportedly have “no interest” in trading Anthony Davis to the Lakers
- All the Anthony Davis trade rumors are reportedly “weighing heavily” on the young Lakers
However...
- Josh Hart pretended not to know who Anthony Davis was when asked about Lakers trade rumors, and says he doesn’t pay attention to them
- Kyle Kuzma said he takes trade rumors about him as a compliment and that he “can play basketball anywhere”
Up until Tuesday, Jan. 29:
- Anthony Davis has requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Lakers are reportedly “determined” to acquire him
- The NBA fined Davis $50,000 for Rich Paul publicly requesting said trade
- The NBA is reportedly investigating potential tampering between the Lakers, LeBron James and Anthony Davis — making a deal before the trade deadline unlikely.
- The Pelicans reportedly see Lonzo Ball as “a key part” of any Anthony Davis trade package with the Lakers, but Ball would prefer to be sent to Chicago or New York.
- The Boston Celtics are reportedly urging the Pelicans to “hold off” on moving Anthony Davis before trade deadline so that they can try to outbid the Lakers this summer.
- Kyrie Irving reportedly has “real” interest in reuniting with LeBron James
- Anthony Davis is expected to inform teams that Lakers are his “preferred destination”
- The Pelicans are reportedly asking the Lakers for at least Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac and a first-round pick to start talks on any Anthony Davis trade
- Anthony Davis reportedly doesn’t see the Celtics as one of his top trade destinations, but the Knicks are prepping a trade offer to rival the Lakers’
- Klay Thompson would reportedly have interest in the Lakers if they trade for Anthony Davis and the Warriors don’t offer Thompson the max
- The Pelicans are crying to Woj about tampering, and — more importantly — they say they are not committed to moving Anthony Davis by the trade deadline
- Anonymous executives think Kyle Kuzma has improved his value as trade asset, but that the rest of young core has seen their value drop
- Lonzo Ball reportedly would rather the Lakers trade him to another team besides the Pelicans because he wants to end up somewhere without an “established point guard”
- The Lakers are reportedly interested in trading for shooters, including Nikola Vucevic, Terrence Ross, Wayne Ellington, Garrett Temple and Trevor Ariza
- The Lakers reportedly discussed a trade for Dennis Smith Jr. with the Dallas Mavericks
- Anonymous scouts are intrigued with Ivica Zubac and think he could have value as a sweetener for the Lakers in trade talks
- The Lakers had considered Lonzo Ball untouchable in recent weeks, but it’s unclear if that will change now that Davis is on the table
- Rich Paul says he hasn’t given the Pelicans a list of specific teams that Anthony Davis wants to be traded to.
For more Lakers (and trade rumors) talk, subscribe to the Silver Screen and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts. All stats per NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com. You can follow Harrison on Twitter at @hmfaigen.