NBA news: Anthony Davis to Lakers, Kawhi Leonard to Clippers backed, LeBron James slammed

Anthony Davis to Lakers off?

The Los Angeles Lakers are not expecting to complete a trade for Anthony Davis before Thursday’s deadline, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reckons.

Wojnarowski wrote on Twitter: “New Orleans GM Dell Demps has had no communication today with Lakers president Magic Johnson on LA’s most recent trade offer for Anthony Davis, league sources tell ESPN.”

“Lakers running low on hope that Pelicans will engage them before Thursday’s 3PM trade deadline.

“Johnson wanted the Pelicans to start making counterproposals to offers on Davis, threatening to end talks unless New Orleans showed a willingness to engage in a back-and-forth on reaching a deal.”

Kawhi Leonard to Clippers backed

Kawhi Leonard will leave the Toronto Raptors this summer and most likely join the Los Angeles Clippers, NBA pundit J.E. Skeets claims.

“My gut, even as a Raptors fan, I think he’s ultimately leaving,” he said. “I think he’s going to go to California and the Clippers are up front.

“They’ve got to go very very deep into the playoffs, which would probably be a finals appearance in order to keep Kawhi.

“Unless Masai [Ujiri, Raptors president] has something up his sleeve and is going to get another big name, [which is] unlikely.

“I think he might go. I think the Clips are set up nicely, they’ve got Jerry West and he just makes things happen.”

LeBron James slammed

LeBron James isn’t fully committed to the Los Angeles Lakers and his comments on a possible Anthony Davis trade prove it, Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd claims.

“LeBron is distancing himself from it which I understand he has to do but nobody really buys that. What I’ve noticed, this will probably offend the LeBron camp, there’s two fractions working,” Cowherd said on Fox Sports’ The Herd.

“There’s the Lakers fraction where they release a press release about LeBron’s health and then Rich Paul part of Klutch Sports and LeBron’s group come out in hysterics and just totally overreacted. 

“Similarly in this situation we’ve got Klutch leaking stuff to build their brand, the Lakers leaking stuff to protect their brand. I feel like there’s been two LeBrons. 

“The first LeBron was the LeBron in Cleveland and in the first three years in Miami, he was all in on his team. He left Cleveland but he loved that city, he loved that team and it was not an easy decision.

“Then there’s the second LeBron, the final year in Miami, all the years back in Cleveland and this year for the Lakers. There’s the team and then there’s LeBron and his guys and they’re never glued. 

“LeBron has his mission, his legacy, his ideas, his world view and then there’s the team. I really feel like the first seven years in Cleveland and first three years in Miami, LeBron was all in as a unit. 

“Now there’s the team and LeBron is part of the team and he can say nice stuff and high five but he’s got a separate mission, a separate business, a separate empire and a separate group.

“I don’t think the Lakers are one, LeBron doesn’t feel like he’s totally committed to the franchise. At some point, are you in? Kobe Bryant was a Laker, Magic [Johnson] was a Laker.

“At some point no matter how big you get, you’re part of a team and a unit or you’re not. I don’t feel like LeBron is all in. I know he signed for four years but I feel like he’s part of a team, he’s not of the team. 

“He is a Laker but he’s not really, really all in of the Lakers. You’ve got to make a choice, got to commit, it can’t be about your empire, Klutch Sports or your guys.”

source: express.co.uk