Lakers Rumors: Team still has a chance to trade for Anthony Davis

After reports of New Orleans owner Gayle Benson making a statement that she would never trade with the Lakers, a new report of Lakers rumors emerged that gives them a chance.

There have been a ton of Los Angeles Lakers rumors recently as everyone believes they are an expert these days. You see a tweet from Sports Illustrated and it must be legit, right?

SI’s Alaa Abdeldaiem wrote that New Orleans Pelicans owner Gayle Benson, when asked if she would trade Anthony Davis to the Lakers, said: “Over my dead body.”

If you dig further, you find out that Abdeldaiem got the info from a Brian Windhorst Hoop Central podcast where Jackie MacMullan said the following:

"“We have been told, I think, through channels – most of us have heard this same scuttlebutt – that Gayle Benson has basically told him, ‘To the Lakers, over my dead body,'” MacMullan said."

After the SI tweet with the dead body quote was posted today, even though the statement was made prior to the draft, very quickly, a rebuttal Tweet was posted by Fletcher Mackel (WDSU news out of New Orleans):

"Per the “over my dead body” reports out there regarding Gayle Benson, the Lakers and Anthony Davis. I have spoken to Gayle. She laughed at the report and called it “totally absurd,” and “completely untrue.”More from Lakers Rumors3 teams that will trade for Buddy Hield before the Lakers have a chanceNBA rumors: How the Lakers can trade for Buddy HieldNBA rumors: Warriors work out multiple players from Lakers’ scrap heapNBA Rumors: Lakers looking to potentially pull off blockbuster tradeHideous Lakers jerseys for 2023-24 season have potentially been leaked"

NBC News reporter Dan Feldman, in his latest post, surmised that the rumor that Benson won’t deal with the Lakers could be coming from her organization to get the best deal out there for AD.

Or, Feldman wrote, “If the Lakers are spreading falsehoods to paint themselves as victims of the Pelicans’ irrationality, that could even further sour relations between these franchises.”

The Lakers could be embarrassed and upset with the failed trade talks at the NBA All-Star break that led to the falling apart of the Lakers on the court.

Adrian Wojnarowski reported in a tweet that AD doesn’t want to re-sign with New Orleans again.

"“Agent Rich Paul has notified the New Orleans Pelicans that forward Anthony Davis has no intention of signing a contract extension if and when presented and that he has requested a trade, Paul told ESPN on Monday.”"

Benson will try to give him a huge contract, as AD is eligible for a five-year, $240 million supermax contract. No one knows if AD wants to stay in New Orleans now that Zion Williamson is on his way,

The narrative that AD wants to come to the Lakers but it’s never going to happen may not be totally true now. Windhorst claims that the Lakers have nothing or no one that the Pelicans want. But, that was before the Lakers landed the No. 4 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The No. 4 pick may have changed the entire trading landscape for the Lakers.

If nothing else, it sounds like there is still a chance, if it’s the right decision. Anthony Davis is injury prone, but he is also a beast on the court, a young NBA All-Star and he wants to be a Laker. Let’s see if GM Rob Pelinka, who will not get a new boss or President, can make this trade happen.