I seriously doubt that would get it done, though it depends which team we're dealing with. The same thing happens every year -- the consensus top pick gets hyped up to high heaven to the point where you basically need to be including All Stars or multiple picks to trade up to that spot. Davis just won several player of the year awards as a freshman and was the most valuable player on the championship team. He's going to get the franchise player tag from day 1 whether it's deserved or not. Thornton has put up good numbers this year, but he's also exposed some of his limitations. Jimmer still has a lot to prove (and a growing number of detractors). Isaiah Thomas has got the top rookie hype going for him right now so packaging him with the 2nd or 3rd pick might turn some heads if a team is desperate for a PG, but like Brick said, the more you include in that deal the more you need Davis to be a superstar to break even. It's not a winning game.
The more interesting discussion, I think, is whether we'd be best served keeping the pick or not if we do win the lottery. Cousins and Davis as a duo does seem like it has ideal offense/defense potential on paper. I didn't watch Kentucky often this year, probably a half dozen games plus the tournament, so my impression is hardly authoritative -- but while I did have the occasional "oh my god" moment at a nice block or steal, I didn't see a player that is guaranteed to dominate defensively in the NBA. The guys coming at him are going to be bigger, faster, stronger, and craftier so there's going to be an adjustment period. It makes me nervous that we have a similar player in Whiteside already on the roster and he hasn't been able to crack the rotation after nearly two seasons. I think Davis could be, and probably will be a very good defensive player and the amount of ground he can cover on the court with his speed and length is really special. But you can pick up defensive specialists in free agency. If you can land an All-Star caliber PG or SF by trading Davis and then fill in that other front court spot in some other way you have to consider it don't you?
Oh, who am I kidding. If you win the #1 pick you take Davis and laugh all the way to the bank. On the subject of Kentucky though: Anthony Davis was an imposing physical presence this year not just because of his size but because he never stops coming at you. He's got a motor that runs for days. But I still think Kidd-Gilchrist was the heart and soul of that team. Whenever they needed big plays he came through for them. When his teammates struggled with their shot he filled in quite capably. That 24 and 19 game to take down Louisville early in the season was a thing of beauty. But he was also more than happy to take a back seat and just bust his rear on defense. As much as I'd love to have a physical defender like Davis patrolling the paint for us, I'd love even more to have Kidd-Gilchrist's intensity and basketball instincts solidifying that SF position. Drummond, Barnes, Robinson, and Beal have all earned their share of hype and could drift up draft boards in the pre-draft process if they impress the right people. Kidd-Gilchrist's understated lead-by-example approach (and he's not very well-spoken in interviews either) may cause him to slide a bit. That's what I'm hoping for at this point anyway, because we need his attitude on this team. We need it to spread like a virus.
. He did surpise me though last year when he traded down, so now maybe he experiences a boomerang effect.
