NEW Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis plays against the Minnesota Timberwolves in an NBA basketball game in Minneapolis. Davis’ agent says the five-time All-Star told the New Orleans Pelicans that he wants to be traded to a contending team. AP
NEW ORLEANS — Anthony Davis wants out of New Orleans.
And if a trade happens, it will be on the Pelicans’ schedule.
The five-time All-Star told the Pelicans that he wants to be traded to a championship-contending team and will not sign an extension with New Orleans, agent Rich Paul told The Associated Press on Monday.
We will do this on our terms and our timeline
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ESPN first reported Davis’ demand to be traded to a contender, a request he made last week.
It is a move that will resonate around the league, one that will have teams trying to see how they can put together a package good enough to land Davis.
But the Pelicans made clear in a written statement Monday afternoon that they’re in no rush and will wait for the right deal.
“We will do this on our terms and our timeline,” the Pelicans said, adding that they will only accept a deal that “makes the most sense for our team and it will not be dictated by those outside of our organization.”
Translated: The NBA trade deadline is 7 February, and if the Pelicans don’t get a deal they want by then, they’re prepared to wait.
“He plans on playing out the season,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said Monday while Davis was at the team’s training headquarters in Pelicans gear, working out and getting treatment on the injured left index finger that has kept him out of four games.
“A.D. is a professional guy and he’s going to play as hard as he can once he gets well and we’re going to do the best we can to try put our team in position to win games.”
The Pelicans also asked the NBA to “strictly enforce” any tampering rules associated with the pursuit of Davis, who is having the best season of his career, averaging 29.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game.
The NBA is also looking into the trade request itself, since making such a demand publicly would seem to have violated league rules.
Davis will almost certainly become a six-time All-Star later this week when the NBA announces the full rosters for this year’s game that will be played 17 February in Charlotte.
It’s just unclear if Davis will be in Charlotte as a member of the Pelicans.
“It’s the business of basketball,” said New Orleans guard Jrue Holiday, who said Davis is “90 percent” of the reason why he decided two summers ago to sign a five-year, $126 million contract to remain in New Orleans.
