Davante Adams (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Las Vegas Raiders superstar wide receiver Davante Adams was widely mentioned in trade rumors throughout the 2023 season, but nothing ever materialized.

After the trade deadline passed, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the New York Jets contacted the Raiders about a possible trade for Davante Adams. According to Schefter, however, the Raiders had no desire to trade away future Hall of Famer.

Though Adams recently emphasized that he wants to stay with the Raiders, GM Tom Telesco should be open to dealing the 31-year-old if the right offer comes along. Las Vegas is in the midst of a retool, and the new Raiders GM might be keen on clearing out the last three years of his contract.

If there’s one team that should aggressively pursue a Davante Adams trade, it’s the New Orleans Saints.

For one, Adams is close friends with Saints quarterback Derek Carr. The two were close friends and teammates at Fresno State, and Adams lobbied for a trade to Vegas in 2022 so that the duo could reunite.

Secondly, Dennis Allen’s group is caught in the mushy middle. They’re good enough to contend for a playoff spot, but not deep enough to compete for a Super Bowl. That means they’re also not good enough to bottom out for top-10 picks.

The Saints need to make an aggressive move of some sort to make the jump to Super Bowl contender. Putting Adams in an offense with Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara and Rashid Shaheed might be the final move needed to help New Orleans go from borderline playoff team to contender.

What The Saints Should Offer For Davante Adams

Davante Adams is still a top-five WR, but he’ll be 32 in December and carries a giant $25.35 million cap hit for 2024, per OvertheCap. There’s no guaranteed money on the last two years of his deal, so the Saints may really be trading for just one year of Adams.

New Orleans should offer Las Vegas the No. 150 and No. 170 picks and a 2025 second-round selection to the Raiders for Adams. That’s fair value for an elite albeit ageing pass-catcher who is nearing the end of his prime years.