Pelicans make final decision on 2024 pick with Lakers for Anthony Davis trade

The Los Angeles Lakers ended their 2023-24 season with a first-round playoff loss to the Denver Nuggets. Los Angeles is revamping their roster in hopes of future improvement.

Anthony Davis, the star center who came to LA via trade in 2019, is at the center of discussions before the NBA Draft but not as a moving piece. The New Orleans Pelicans are making plans for a pick they received from the Davis trade ahead of the June event.

The Pelicans are planning to defer Los Angeles’ first-round round pick until the 2025 NBA Draft, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. This clears the way for the Lakers to select 17th overall in 2024’s draft. The move makes sense given that pick considerations were a part of the 2019 Anthony Davis trade.

Furthermore, Los Angeles also owns the 55th pick in the draft. The Pelicans have until 11:59 ET on Saturday to inform the league of their intentions, per Wojnarowski. The pick is the final of three first-rounders the Lakers owed to the Pelicans for the Davis trade.

It seems that New Orleans values the 2025 NBA Draft talent more than 2024. It will be interesting to see what players their LA picks produce for them in the future.

The Pelicans had a similar playoff run to the Lakers in 2024. They earned the eighth seed in the West and took on the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.

Unfortunately, OKC swept New Orleans, but the defeat can be taken with a grain of salt. The Pelicans were arguably without their best player.

Zion Williamson missed the series with a hamstring strain that he ironically suffered against the Lakers in the Play-In Tournament. When he returns healthy, the Pelicans should make a deeper run.

The Lakers want to advance further as well.

Anthony Davis, Lakers want to get back atop the West

Many questioned if the Anthony Davis trade would work out for the Lakers. It is safe to say the answer has been mostly positive. Davis helped Los Angeles win the 2020 NBA Finals, which was the first championship of his career.

He has dealt with injury woes, but when healthy, he is a force to be reckoned with. Davis is coming off one of his best years.

The 31-year-old averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals during the 2023-24 regular season. In addition, he played a career-high 76 games. Davis will likely have to continue to carry a heavy load with the aging of LeBron James.

James is coming off his 21st year in the NBA. Yet, the star forward continues to go toe-to-toe with the best. James averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and shot a career-high 41.0 percent on 3-pointers. The 39-year-old is approaching a pivotal contract negotiations stage during the 2024 offseason, but signs point toward him staying in LA.

The main question that surrounds James and Davis is how the Lakers will support them for an improved postseason run. Surely, LA’s front office will devise a plan that will help the team have short and long-term success amid another pivotal period.