Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis has reportedly submitted a trade request and informed the team he will not re-sign when his contract expires in the summer of 2020. Davis would pass up a potential 230 million dollar contract, but Advocate Pelicans writer Scott Kushner says A-D wants to play for a winning franchise.
“He is turning down the opportunity to not be the richest player in NBA history, just so he doesn’t have to play for this team, and that is a direct repudiation of this franchise, and the way that it has been led.”
The Pels are 22-and-28 this season, a sharp turn of events from last year, when the underdog Pels swept the third seeded Trailblazers in the first round of the playoffs, before losing to the Warriors in five games.
Kushner says there’s plenty of blame to go around for the team’s inability to be more than just a fringe playoff contender.
“It is a failure on Davis for not being able to lead the team, it is a failure of the general manager to not be able to build a team around him, it is a failure on the coaches, and it is a failure on the ownership to not understand that this wasn’t working and change direction.”
Earlier this year Davis was spotted with Lebron James at a restaurant, where James reportedly pitched The Brow on playing in the City of Angels.
Davis has averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds a game on 52 percent shooting for his career in New Orleans, while playing a pivotal defensive role for the team. Kushner says there is no trade that can replace his performance, but it’s possible that a good haul could lead to a brighter future down the road.
“You can have a pretty good offer, I would suspect solid young players, they will definitely end up with some picks, there will be potential there, and you could end up with a situation where you end up with a more stable franchise going forward.”
Reports indicate the Celtics would be able to offer the best package for AD, but would have to wait until July to do so. The NBA trade deadline is February 7th.
