New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis has been the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks, with the Los Angeles Lakers being mentioned frequently as the front-runners for his services.
However, it sounds like Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson will have some competition. According to Chris Sheridan of Get More Sports, the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks - along with the Lakers and Pelicans - are the "five teams in the near and distant future" that Davis is considering.
Davis is signed through the 2019-20 season, but carries a player option for 2020-21 that he'd likely opt out of. A source told Sheridan that "Winning and being the best player on the floor every night," matters most to the 25-year-old superstar.
Last month, Mark Heisler of the Orange County Register reported that insiders believe Davis "will force a trade" to the Lakers, and that he's interested in playing alongside LeBron James.
RELATED: ANTHONY DAVIS WILL FORCE A TRADE FROM PELICANS TO JOIN LEBRON JAMES [RUMOR]
The Celtics obviously have the young assets to make a move for Davis, as Sheridan noted. But if they weren't willing to part with those pieces for Kawhi Leonard, perhaps they'd be a little hesitant to make a big play for Davis. The cap-strapped Celtics would also have to move out salary if they wanted to trade for and extend Davis.
As for the 76ers, they already have a championship-caliber roster that's built around Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and the recently acquired Jimmy Butler - whom they're expected to extend this offseason. Philly already gave away a couple of big trade chips in Dario Saric and Robert Covington for Butler, so they might not have enough to pry away Davis from New Orleans.
The Knicks have been linked to many big-named superstars as 2019 free agency looms, including Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Whether or not they'd make a play for Davis is anybody's guess, but take it with a grain of salt. They're linked to every huge name when it comes to trades and free agency.
What This Means
This puts more pressure on the Pelicans to simply keep on winning. If they can build a quality team around Davis, he might decide to stick with the only team he's ever played for.
Otherwise, Davis could force a trade, and the Pelicans would have to start offering him up to other teams. Though New Orleans would get plenty of assets in a Davis trade, they certainly wouldn't find a player of his caliber. The best bet is to hold onto him for now and hope they can emerge as a top team in the West.