With the New Orleans Pelicans reeling and falling further out of the Western Conference playoff race, Anthony Davis and his agent, Rich Paul, informed the team a five-year, $240 million supermax contract extension would not be signed this summer.
Additionally, Anthony requested to be traded prior to the Feb. 7 deadline. The demand hardly came as a surprise, nor was it when the Los Angeles Lakers emerged as one of his reported preferences.
In the aftermath of his desire becoming public knowledge and creating an uncomfortable setting for the Pelicans, Davis explained it was never his intention for matters to unfold how they have, per Andrew Lopez of The Times-Picayune:
Anthony Davis says someone called a reporter and that reporter called Rich about it. “We never wanted it go public.”
— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) February 1, 2019
Speculation that Davis could have interest in the Lakers began the minute he signed on with Paul and Klutch Sports, who also represents LeBron James. With less than one week before the trade deadline, it’s unclear how the Pelicans intend to proceed.
Some believe they will keep the five-time All-Star on their roster into the summer when the Boston Celtics can become involved. However, that may hinge on Kyrie Irving’s future with the franchise, and that now appears to be on shaky ground.
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