Could the New Orleans Hornets Use Anthony Davis as a Selling Point to Get Deron Williams?

1) Obviously, the Hornets select Kentucky’s Anthony Davis with the 1st pick in the draft. Not wacky.

2) Ink Eric Gordon, the best player on their roster, to an extension. He’s already balked at $50 million, thinking he’s worth what Russell Westbrook ($80 million) or Kevin Love ($60 million) got. Gordon’s immensely talented, but also injury prone. It’d be silly to lock him up long term. I agree with John Reid – why not offer Gordon (who is only 23) a 3-year deal worth $30 million? If he balks at that, and someone else wants to give him 5 years and $55 million, that’s their funeral. But you could sell it to Gordon as, “imagine how your stock will soar over the next three years, as you enter your prime playing with Anthony Davis and …”

3) Make a run at point guard Deron Williams. He’s a free agent and likely will choose between New Jersey and Dallas. But sit Williams down and put on a highlight reel of the incredible season Davis had. Toss out the stats that show Davis was much more dominant as a freshman than Tim Duncan, Olajuwon and Ewing were. Sell Williams on this – do you want to go to an over-the-hill Dallas team? A Jersey roster devoid of talent? Or do you want to play with an explosive 23-year-old shooting guard, and a franchise cornerstone in Davis? Not to mention that Trevor Ariza is a nice complementary player, and Al-Farouq Aminu is promising and only 21. Williams and Gordon could handle the scoring, Davis and Okafor the shot blocking, and Ariza/Aminu the defense.

If this happens, then Larry Brown will be proven right – Anthony Davis will take an awful team and get them to 50 wins as a rookie.