As expected, Anthony Davis’ trade request caught the NBA media by storm. The Golden State Warriors will remain unfazed with a larger goal in mind.
The Anthony Davis sweepstakes has “officially” begun, more or less to be exact. As was reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Anthony Davis’ agent Rich Paul confirmed to ESPN that Davis will not sign and ultimately reject any contract extension offered by the New Orleans Pelicans. In addition, Davis has requested to be traded to an organization that can win and compete consistently.
The former was widely to be expected, it’s the latter portion of Wojnarowski’s reporting that caught some off-guard. As it currently stands, Davis is still (and likely) will remain with the Pelicans through the end of the season, where other teams will certainly come into play for Anthony Davis’ services in the summer.
Of course with the trade deadline approaching on February 7th, it’s been reported that multiple teams are already discussing package deals in exchange for the Brow. The Lakers and Knicks are among the franchises already doing work, but one team that shouldn’t (and won’t) be fazed or distracted by the Anthony Davis news is the two-time defending NBA champions.
Contrary to just a year ago, the month of January has been perhaps the best month of the season-to-date for Golden State. Stephen Curry has been MVP-caliber, Klay Thompson’s shooting slump is in the past, Draymond Green’s defense and play making has been revived, and Kevin Durant has been quietly efficient on both ends of the court.
Don’t forget that they’ve finally added a fifth All-Star to the starting lineup in DeMarcus Cousins, who has been playing better beyond initial expectations. All of the aforementioned facts has led to an 11-game winning streak, their longest of the season.
Despite some hiccups to start the season, the Warriors have regained control of the Western Conference and now stand as the (overwhelming) favorites for a three-peat in June. While other franchises may be obsessed with the Brow’s services, Golden State will remain obsessed with their quest for a third championship in four years.
Should the Anthony Davis sweepstakes carry into the summer (as expected) Golden State will still have their own priorities in order. Thompson and Durant are both set to become free agents, and their goal will be to convince both to play in the newly opened Chase Center for years to come.
Unlike the summer of 2016, the cards aren’t in their favor in being able to snag a big-name free agent like Davis. This has been a championship-caliber organization for the past few years, and they’ll have their sights set on keeping the core that helped build the dynasty we’re witnessing today.
It’s easy to get carried away with speculation on how the Davis sweepstakes will affect the Warriors’ quest for a three-peat, even more so to ponder if Golden State themselves can make a play for the Brow. Make no mistake, the franchise is aware of the Anthony Davis bidding war and how it affects them now and in the future, but this team won’t become fazed. They have a higher goal, a focused objective, and a higher purpose.