This is the only chance Knicks fans have to express themselves warmly to Anthony Davis as the Lakers take over the Garden on Wednesday with their purple-and-gold army of supporters.
Yes, LeBron James will get his due in his lone Broadway appearance, but Davis is now the impending free agent who last January had the Knicks on his short list of teams to whom he wanted to be traded.
The Knicks have a boatload of cap space with scant 2020 options, so it’s not a bad idea to show the 6-foot-10 Davis some love, some cheers, maybe even an “AD” chant.
At least there is one superstar who has been on record expressing a legitimate interest in playing in New York. And sources insist his influential agent, Rich Paul, would one day like to have a star client in New York.
Odds are, the Lakers are headed to a dreamy postseason, maybe even to their 17th championship if everyone stays healthy. At that point, Davis will stay.
However, some agents believe it’s not out of the possibility that Davis pulls “a LeBron.’’
James was the pioneer who originally signed the original “one-and-one deal” — a game-changing short-term commitment.
That equals a two-year contract with an opt-out after the first season. Despite the risk, it allowed James flexibility, put pressure on his team to keep the roster up to standards and, done correctly, can draw in a higher max salary. Kevin Durant followed James’ lead.
If Davis does a “one-and-one” to return to Los Angeles, it would put him back on the marketplace in 2021 when the Knicks should have max space.
“I’ve heard that idea floating around, keeping him shorter term, because of LeBron’s age,’’ one agent said.
The Lakers’ 139-107 Martin Luther King Jr. Day loss to the Celtics notwithstanding, the James-Davis pairing has gone as heavenly as views from Santa Monica Pier. Frank Vogel’s club enters the Garden with a 34-9 record — best in the West.
When the Knicks faced the Lakers at Staples Center on Jan. 7, it was reported Davis turned down the Lakers’ long-term extension as procedure. Davis has said repeatedly he wants to be a free agent July 1 — with the strong presumption he wants to stay in LA as long as the landscape remains this pristine.
However, landscapes change quickly. There’s a lot of season left for the Hollywood script to go astray. James has turned 35 with the high mileage of a Japanese car. Last season, James broke down with a groin injury.
James’ motives may change if he leads a third different franchise to a championship — an unprecedented accomplishment that puts him atop basketball’s Mount Everest. James has all but admitted his next mission is playing a season alongside his high-schooler son, Bronny.
As luck would have it, Davis, 26, just got back on the court. Against the Knicks in the Lakers’ 117-87 win in January, Davis took a horrible spill on a drive against Julius Randle, injuring his tailbone.
After missing five games, Davis returned for Monday’s Celtics fiasco, clearly rusty. But the James-Davis tandem is back for its first romp at the World’s Most Famous Arena. Davis has been brilliant, averaging 26.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks.
“Should be a great atmosphere.’’ said Randle, the former Lakers lottery pick let go essentially to keep cap flexibility for a Davis acquisition. “I’m sure the Garden will be rocking. Sure it’ll be a great game. So I’m looking forward to it.’’
After six seasons out of the playoffs, the Lakers are the big show again. They also have Jason Kidd on their assistant staff — potentially a Knicks head-coaching candidate this spring. He has a solid relationship with 2021 free agent Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Meanwhile, the Knicks, coming off a rare blowout win in Cleveland, plow on at 12-32. Interim coach Mike Miller has already coached the same number of games this season as David Fizdale with some better results. Miller is 8-14 compared to Fizdale’s 4-18. Miller has helped improve a defense that has allowed, in successive games, 90 points to Philly and 86 to Cleveland.
“Just when we lock in on the defensive end this is what we’re capable of,’’ Elfrid Payton said. “It’s going to be tough on offense some days, but the defense has to always be there and that’s something we can take away from it.”
The Knicks defense surely will be challenged Wednesday.