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Anthony Davis has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers for months after his agent Rich Paul publicly came out and requested a trade prior to last month’s NBA Trade Deadline, but the New Orleans Pelicans didn’t budge. In fact, it was reported that Davis’ current team actually played the Lakers, using the media to disrupt their chemistry by getting a ton of young players involved in the trade discussions in hopes of sabotaging their playoff hopes. That’s some lethal sh*t, right there; but it seemed to have worked.
While Anthony Davis is basically being managed by the Pelicans as if he’s going to be traded this summer, it sure sounds as if there’s one team already on the “do not trade to” list — and, yep, it’s those damn Lakers. Shocker, right?
According to Marc J. Spears of The Athletic, via Dan Feldman of NBC Sports, the Pelicans don’t plan on engaging in any trade talks about Anthony Davis with the Lakers out of spite, so to speak. Seeing as how Paul — who’s also LeBron James’ agent and good friend — came out and tried to manipulate a deal to the Lakers before the trade deadline, the Pels see it as a way to get back at the whole plot.
Here’s what Spears reportedly heard from his sources, per Bleacher Report, referencing any rumors that Davis ends up in Los Angeles.
“I have been told that there’s no way Anthony Davis is coming here, through the Pelicans. They’re just not going to do it.”
If true, this is really interesting, because the Pelicans are basically refusing to give Anthony Davis and Rich Paul what they want — which is to team up with James to start forming the foundation of a superteam. It’s also something that seems super petty, but, hey, with Davis under contract until 2020, New Orleans doesn’t even have to trade him; although they’d be smart to do so do get some sort of assets in return before he bolts via free agency next summer.
Of course, this can all change in the coming months because the Pelicans are in the market for a new general manager after the team fired Dell Demps after how things with Davis were handled. Would a new GM consider trading Anthony Davis to the Lakers this summer if they still presented the best offer, or is the entire Pelicans franchise anti-Los Angeles at this point? Only time will tell.
One thing’s for damn sure: With the Pelicans being careful about Anthony Davis’ usage by putting him on a minutes restriction the rest of the year, it’s just about a certainty that the superstar is headed out the door in the coming months. Where that will be is still a mystery, but here’s to hoping New Orleans stays firm and doesn’t give the All-Star big man what he wants. That’s just a bad look for the team and the league to have players dictate their own futures when still under contract; but that’s a topic of discussion for another day.