Pelicans will meet with Anthony Davis to pitch him on staying in New Orleans

One week after securing the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, new Pelicans president of basketball operations David Griffin has not given up on pairing Zion Williamson with an All-Star that wants out of New Orleans.

Griffin revealed his intention to meet with Anthony Davis in a conference call for new Pelicans general manager Trajan Langdon on late Tuesday. Davis has already indicated to New Orleans even after they landed the No. 1 pick that he plans on sticking to his trade request but that is not preventing Griffin from trying to produce a change of heart.

“We’ll probably sit together in Los Angeles at some point around the draft workouts that take place there,” Griffin said. “And I think that’s the next step — really to look each other in the eye and talk about what’s important to us. And we’re very optimistic from previous conversations with Rich Paul, his agent, and with all of the people here that know Anthony and know what he’s about, we’re very confident that we have a compelling situation for him here.”

BSJ Analysis

While it's understandable for Griffin to try to make a hard sell here on the idea of creating perhaps the most athletic frontcourt in NBA history, there's not a ton for him to sell Davis on from a winning standpoint in the interim.

Beyond point guard Jrue Holiday, the Pelicans roster does not have many talents under contract for next season. The team's cap flexibility is also limited with guys like Solomon Hill making $13 million for 2020-21. There certainly is enough there for a playoff team to be built but beyond Williamson entering the league at an All-Star level, the case for Davis to spend more of his prime in New Orleans will be a tough sell for management.

Griffin does have a number of extra second round picks that were collected at last year's trade deadline for Nikola Mirotic, so it is possible he tries to open up some cap space and deal off some expensive mid-level talent into open cap room (E'Twaun Moore, Hill) while giving teams some draft picks for the help. Those type of win-now moves would require some type of commitment from Davis though, which the team would surely want before free agency begins.

“If winning is what he is indeed all about, which we have every reason to believe, we feel confident that we can create — and are creating — the right environment for Anthony and frankly for high-caliber players of all types to want to be a part of,” Griffin said. “This is something that we hope creates an energy that recruits itself, and Anthony would just be one step in that process.”

The biggest thing for all sides right now is a bit of clarity. If nothing else, Griffin can use this tactic (even though it's likely genuine) as a negotiating advantage with the Celtics and other teams, as a threat to walk away from trade talks and see how the season plays out with Davis, at least until the trade deadline. That's a huge risk for New Orleans with the potential for injuries and reduced compensation offers for less than a full season, but it could also lead to more teams getting desperate for the superstar.

Either way, the possibility of that scenario should help the Pelicans field stronger offers right out of the gate this summer for their superstar. The only way Davis comes off the trade market this summer is if he signs the supermax extension and it's hard to see him that happening after all the ugliness of the past few months with how Davis handled the situation amid the understandable backlash from Pelicans fans. It's a long shot for Griffin but one that is worth taking as he starts what is likely to be a drawn out month of crucial negotiations leading into the NBA Draft.