New York Post

AD high on Garden as long-term option

- By MARC BERMAN

While a report suggests Anthony Davis con siders the Knicks as a longterm option as tantalizin­g as teaming up with LeBron James, Knicks president Steve Mills still has to come up with a meaty enough young package to entice the Pelicans by Thursday’s 3 p.m. deadline.

The Post reported first the Knicks offered a Kristaps Porzingis package to the Pelicans last week, but he’s in Dallas now.

The New York Times reported Davis is as interested in signing long-term in 2020 with the Knicks as he is with the Lakers. Davis’ trainer, Marc el Scott, moved to New York to work with rookie center Mitchell Robinson, and is loving life in the Big Apple. Certainly that has gotten back to Davis.

However, league sources believe the Pelicans don’t see the Knicks as having a strong enough package to offer for Davis, unless they win either the first or second pick in May’s lottery.

The Knicks have plenty of young assets to throw at the Pelicans, starting with 2018 lottery pick Kevin Knox, who is liked a lot by some members of the Pelicans staff. The Knicks’ disappoint­ing 2017 lottery pick Frank Ntlilikina is also available. A source said the Pelicans also like Robinson, a Louisiana native and offseason resident. The Pelicans’ and Knicks’ front off ices speak frequently because New Orleans uses the Westcheste­r Knicks G-League team.

Could a package of Knox, N ti li kin a, the K nicks’ 2019 lottery pick and Dallas ’2023 first-round er do the trick Thursday? The Knicks have the expiring contracts of Enes Kanter or Wesley Matthews to throw in a deal to make the salaries work.

There is no reason for the Pelicans not to wait until the K nicks know where they pick in June and when the Celtics and their trove of assets can become involved.

Davis’ salary would slip easily into a portion of the Knicks’ cap space this summer and they could add another superstar, such as Kevin Durant, to go with the versatile big man.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States