NBA rumors: Lakers' Anthony Davis trade offers don't impress Pelicans

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The Lakers want Anthony Davis so they can better compete with the Warriors in the Western Conference. One problem: It appears L.A. would almost have to strip their roster bare to acquire the six-time All-Star center.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and The Athletic’s Shams Charania both reported Friday night that the Lakers’ initial offers have not impressed the Pelicans, who removed him from their pregame intro video. Wojnarowski termed the Pelicans’ attitude in trade talks with the Lakers as “underwhelmed,” and one source told Charania the L.A. proposals were “lowball.”

The Lakers’ approach reportedly has been to offer two of the following young players -- Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac and Josh Hart -- plus veterans Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson and/or Michael Beasley, along with one first-round draft pick. That has so unimpressed the Pelicans that Wojnarowski reported the team hasn’t even responded to the Lakers’ offer, although the teams are talking.

[RELATED: Davis' dad doesn't want him traded to Celtics]

Wojnarowski postulates that the Lakers might have to offer all the aforementioned young players, two first-round picks and salary-cap relief in the form of absorbing bad contracts for the Pelicans to send Davis their way. And with the NBA trade deadline just five days away, the Pelicans can afford to drive a hard bargain with the Lakers or simply wait until the offseason, when the Celtics can join the fray with their multiple young players and draft picks.

Should the Lakers panic and meet the Pelicans’ price, they’d have Davis, LeBron James and not much else in their quest for resumed relevance. The Warriors would be just fine with seeing so much young talent shipped out of L.A., especially if the deal happens before the teams meet Saturday night at Oracle Arena. That seems unlikely, though, given the current gap between the Lakers and the Pelicans.

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