The Anthony Davis wants a trade from the Pelicans open thread

Anthony Davis has formally requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans, so says his agent Rich Paul. The move, first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski — a 9.7 woj bomb on the Narowski scale — completely upends the NBA even as it falls into line with most people’s conventional thinking.

Let’s get one thing clear right away — the Detroit Pistons will not, can not and should not trade for Davis. It’s not happening no matter what you can make the NBA Trade Machine do. Please keep beat writers like Rod Beard, Vince Ellis, James Edwards and Keith Langlois in your thoughts during this difficult time.

So who can trade for him? The Lakers, obviously, and Rich Paul is extremely close with LeBron James through Clutch Sports. But just because the Lakers want him doesn’t mean they can offer a package the Pelicans would be willing to accept.

The Lakers are playing well, but the bloom is slightly off the roses of Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball, respectively.

After watching just how well things have worked out in Toronto with Kawhi Leonard and in OKC with Paul George, would another franchise be willing to trade for Davis with no guarantee he would re-sign there long term?

And back to the Pistons for a second.

Just for spits and giggles, could Detroit possible be involved in any three-team trades? They have plenty of hefty contracts and would probably be willing to take on an unsexy player as long as they fit a little better than the current mismatched pieces.

And what are the Pelicans looking for, anyway? A quick reload to make sure they don’t completely lose a despondent fan base? Are they afraid of being relocated? Or do they want a clean break and quickly tear it down to the studs to start amassing draft collateral in their next attempt to build around a future Anthony Davis-like star?

Lastly, what about players like Jrue Holiday? Pistons fans are obsessed with Mike Conley and Jrue Holiday might be an even better fit for a team like Detroit. He’s not great, has some flaws, but he’s a really good defender and while he’s not an elite playmaker for his position, he’d slot in nicely alongside Griffin. The 3-point shot is a concern, but I also have no clue what a player like Holiday would cost.

I’m sure a deal is vanishingly unlikely, but it’s worth a thought experiment or two.

What is your best guess on how this plays out leading to the NBA Trade Deadline? Does he stay or does he go? What are the domino effects of a Davis trade? Why are the Pistons so irrelevant? Answer me!