LA Clippers Rumor: Anthony Davis trims desired trade list to Lakers, Knicks

The LA Clippers and Anthony Davis have reportedly had mutual interest for some time now, but according to rumors, the star now prefers to go elsewhere.

When news first surfaced regarding Anthony Davis‘ unsatisfactory situation in New Orleans, the LA Clippers were named as one of his desired trade destinations. But according to new rumors, the six-time All-Star no longer prefers a trade to the Clippers.

Per a report from The Athletic‘s Shams Charania, Davis has zeroed in on the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks as his only two desired long-term trade destinations, cutting out the LA Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks. This information comes mere hours after Adrian Wojnarowski reported that an AD trade could require more than two teams to be completed, and that the Clippers and Brooklyn Nets were among teams inquiring about a potential trade, along with the Lakers and Knicks.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the Clippers are out of the running for Davis, though. While the Clippers may not be on his desired list of trade destinations, Davis does not have a no-trade clause in his contract, meaning the New Orleans Pelicans could trade him to whichever team they feel provides the best return for their superstar.

That being said, a trade to the Clippers feels very unlikely at this point, and will almost certainly not be happening. It would take an awful lot for LA to land Davis, and now that there are rumors that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would not be included in any potential trade, the Clippers are much more limited in terms of tradable assets.

The Lakers and Knicks do make more sense as landing spots for Davis. In New York, he could become the face of a franchise that could also add stars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving this summer via free agency. In Los Angeles, Davis would get the opportunity to play with an all-time great in LeBron James for one of the most storied franchises in American sports.

Charania also noted in his report that the Boston Celtics are among the teams most aggressive in their pursuit of Davis, despite the fact that he could become a free agent in 2020. In addition, he stated that the market for Davis could expand after the beginning of free agency, since not every team will be able to land their top targets.

Now that the LA Clippers are effectively out of the running, the focus can turn to the NBA Draft and free agency, both of which begin near the end of June.