https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/26941750/pelicans-open-multi-team-davis-deal
Griffin is pursuing a combination of assets that include an All-Star player, a young player with All-Star potential and two first-round picks, league sources said. Those wants are on a sliding scale. For example, the better the player, the softer the asks on the draft picks -- and vice versa.
I'm not sure any team or combination of teams could meet this price.
If a team gave up that much to get Davis, what are the chances they still have enough talent on their roster to actually compete in the single season they have Davis under control?
The Celts can offer a young player with All-Star potential plus two 1st round picks. They could throw in Hayward, I suppose, who might return to All-Star form as soon as next season. But I doubt that would qualify.
This is pretty clearly just a bargaining tactic to open negotiations. Still, that's total fantasy. No way they get anything close to that much for Davis.
Also notable:
Griffin has offered teams no firm timetable on needing a completed deal, but he has indicated that he prefers the acquisition of 2019 draft picks be completed days prior to the June 20 event, in Brooklyn, league sources said.
Deal likely to be completed in the next week or so.
That seems like Smart, Tatum, Memphis, and another 1st. Tatum and the Memphis pick are better than the baseline such that they make up for Smart falling short of his prong.
To me, it sounds like the "ask" is for Boston's best offer plus an established All-Star.
There's just no way they're getting close to that.
More likely, Griffin will be able to get EITHER an established All-Star player OR a young player with All-Star potential. Both? No way.
I just don't see that as the case, which is why there is a specific mention of the fluidity of the ask. If Tatum is the best prospect they can get, then that has more value. The Memphis pick is unknown, but is likely going to be a lottery pick either next year or the following year (how high is obviously up for debate but hard to see how it isn't a lottery pick). Throw in 14 i.e. a lottery pick this year, plus a very solid still relatively young player like Smart on a good contract, and that is what the ask is.
I mean which offer is better
Smart, Tatum, Memphis, 14
or
Russell, Allen, 17, Nets 20 1st
Seems pretty clear that Boston's offer is better even though the Nets offer technically would hit all 3 criteria (at least depending on what you think of Allen as a prospect).
And both of those are better offers than what the Spurs got for Leonard, who is better than Davis and similarly situated from a contract perspective (though Leonard's injury issues were less certain).