Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis is on the New York Knicks’ “dream list” to add to their roster, according to Fox Sports’ Craig Carton.
.@craigcartonlive says the Knicks are targeting Anthony Davis 👀 pic.twitter.com/63dsHaBAQT
— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) June 24, 2024
“I know who the Knicks have had conversations about,” Carton said. “I’m going to tell you. There is a player that I don’t think they can get, but I know who is No. 1 on the Knicks’ dream list. I know this. It’s a fact. It’s 100 percent. Just trust me on it. I’ve said it on this show before. The New York Knicks – if they could make it happen and figure it out – would like to add Anthony Davis to the roster. That’s the guy that they want more than any other player in the league.”
While the Knicks may covert Davis, it seems highly unlikely that the Lakers would move on from the nine-time All-Star, especially since he has proven to be a great complement to LeBron James, winning a title with the four-time champion in the 2019-20 season.
Davis is under contract with the Lakers for at least the next two seasons, and he has a player option for the 2027-28 campaign. That would make it extremely hard for the Knicks to trade for Davis, as they’d likely need to entice the Lakers with a package of players and picks to add the star big man when he’s already under contract for multiple seasons.
While New York could dangle a player like Julius Randle to begin trade talks, there’s no doubt that Davis is a better player on both ends of the floor. With James’ career likely entering its final years, it wouldn’t make a ton of sense to break up the duo of him and Davis.
In the 2023-24 season, Davis showed just how dominant he can be when injuries don’t knock him out of the lineup.
He appeared in 76 games for the Lakers and averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.3 blocks per game. Those numbers earned him an All-Star selection, an All-NBA nod and an All-Defensive team selection. Davis also finished fourth in the voting for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
The Knicks may be looking to upgrade their roster this offseason after earning the No. 2 seed in the East in the 2023-24 campaign. New York achieved that seeding despite Randle missing the rest of the season after injuring his shoulder in January against the Miami Heat.
Adding an All-NBA talent like Davis to pair with All-NBA guard Jalen Brunson would certainly make the Knicks a contender, but it’s unlikely that pairing will be possible this offseason or potentially even beyond that.
For now, it appears the Lakers are still going to ride with the James and Davis duo in the 2024-25 season and beyond.
