The Davante Adams trade saga was expected to pick up this week now that it’s very clear he wants out and the Las Vegas Raiders are open to dealing him. According to one NFL insider, the Raiders have some pretty lofty trade demands.
“The Raiders’ preference as an organization is to get a Davante Adams trade done ‘sooner rather than later,’ per multiple sources. But the Raiders aren’t going to do just any deal, and their preference has been not to take on any of the money remaining on Adams’ contract,” wrote Jordan Schultz on X. “The Raiders have been seeking a 2nd-rounder and an additional pick in a trade for Davante Adams, per sources. I haven’t gotten the sense that any team has come close to meeting that asking price as of now.”
Multiple reports have stated that the New York Jets and the New Orleans Saints are his preferred destinations due to his relationship with quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Derek Carr. A separate report from Ian Rapoport has indicated that the Steelers are among several teams that Adams would potentially be open to playing for.
A second-round pick plus an additional pick is a steep asking price considering the cap hit that Adams carries with him at this point in the process. With the Raiders preferring to not take on any of the remaining salary, they could have a difficult time finding a trade partner willing to meet all of those demands.
Whichever team trades for Adams can restructure his contract, if he’s willing, to spread out his cap across the remaining years of his deal. They could also work out additional years to tack on, or even voidable contract years, to further spread out the hit. Our Dave Bryan summarized the financials behind a possible trade, so check out his post for more details there.
According to Dianna Russini, the Steelers have made an aggressive offer for Adams’ services. The trade could happen at any time now, or this could drag into next week. That just depends how flexible the Raiders are willing to be with their list of demands for how this trade takes place. For every passing week, they pick up more of his 2024 base salary.
