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Anthony Davis' free agency is going to rock the NBA, and chatter has already started about where he could land

Anthony Davis could be the rare, game-changing superstar to hit free agency in his prime. With his future in New Orleans unclear, teams are already circling.

  • Anthony Davis can become a free agent at the end of the 2019-20 season and one of the most sought-after players in NBA history.
  • While his free agency is over a year away, there is already buzz about whether Davis will stay with the New Orleans Pelicans, in part because the team isn't close to contending for a championship.
  • Davis can sign a max extension at the end of this season, and if he doesn't, teams may get aggressive in trying to trade for him before he hits free agency.
  • Teams like the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and Golden State Warriors are considered suitors right now, but the list would expand if teams think Davis is leaving New Orleans.

Anthony Davis has the chance to become the NBA's biggest free agent since LeBron James in 2010 and Kevin Durant in 2014.

The 25-year-old New Orleans Pelicans big man has ascended among the elite NBA players, putting up eye-popping nightly figures over the past five years while becoming a perennial all-star. Nothing has changed for Davis this year, as he's averaging 25 points on 49% shooting, 45% from three, with 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks per game for the 4-4 Pelicans.

While Davis' contract doesn't expire until after the 2019-20 season, chatter has started about where he could land. That's in part because Davis could be in line for the "supermax" contract extension this summer, and it's unclear if he'll take it to commit to the Pelicans.

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If he doesn't, the Pelicans may need to begin shopping him, as he could hit free agency and walk.

While Davis hasn't given any indications that he wants to leave New Orleans, there have been signs that may concern the Pelicans. Davis recently told Yahoo's Chris Haynes, for instance, that for the Pelicans to win, he has to be nearly perfect.

"Of course, I know that in order to win games, a lot of pressure is going to be on me," Davis said. "If we lose, it's on me. If we win, they give my team the credit and I'm fine with that ... I don't have a good game and we lose. So, I got to play almost perfect every night to give us a chance to win."

In a league of superteams, it's not a great sign when a player feels he has to do it all to keep his team competitive.

Likewise, this season, Davis signed with Klutch, the agency that represents LeBron James and is run by James' childhood friend Rich Paul. James' Los Angeles Lakers will have cap space this summer and are expected to pursue star players aggressively.

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Davis told Haynes that he knew the move would naturally draw speculation.

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