The Warriors are about to tip-off in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, but many NBA teams are already gearing up for the 2019-20 season.
Despite Golden State and Toronto battling it out for the championship, much of the talk around the rest of the NBA has centered around free agency and trade speculation ahead of what surely will be a wild offseason.
The biggest prize on the market -- other than Warriors star Kevin Durant -- is Pelicans big man Anthony Davis. Davis has one year left on his contract but demanded a trade in February and has maintained his stance that he still wants out of New Orleans.
The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Monday afternoon that Davis has narrowed his long-term focus to the Knicks and the Lakers, as he tries to control where the Pelicans deal him. Although new Pelicans GM David Griffin can trade "The Brow" to all 29 other teams, Davis can try to use his 2020 free agency as leverage over other potential suitors.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski added on SportsCenter that the Lakers are "the leader in the clubhouse" for Davis' services and the Lakers want to get a deal done as soon as this coming weekend.
If Davis were to land on either of these teams, it would change the entire landscape of the NBA and directly affect the Warriors.
Sports
The Brow teaming up with LeBron James in Los Angeles would immediately create the No. 1 contender in the West to Golden State, as the 1-2 punch of LeBron and Davis would be the ground pieces of a budding superteam. Even if the Warriors are able to re-sign Kevin Durant in free agency, the LeBron and Davis-led Lakers would provide a viable counter to Steph Curry and KD.
[RELATED: Doctor explains what to expect from KD in first game back]
Conversely, if Davis gets traded to the Knicks, New York would become a more appetizing destination for Durant, who is rumored to be highly considering signing with the Knicks in free agency. One of the reasons Durant might opt against heading to the Big Apple is the lack of talent on the Knicks' roster. But if the Knicks add Davis, KD might be more inclined to take his talents east.
No matter where Davis ends up, it surely will impact the Warriors directly or indirectly. But save that offseason speculation for later -- there's still a 2019 championship to win.
