New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis can enter free agency next summer and be one of the top names on the market. His agent, Rich Paul, has apparently informed the team Davis wants out sooner than that.
Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Paul says Davis has requested a trade from the team. In addition, Paul informed the Pelicans today that Davis has no intention of signing a long-term contract extension if and when one is offered.
Davis could sign a 5-year, $240 million super max extension this summer and can become a free agent in the summer of 2020, Wojnarowski reports. However, New Orleans has expressed no desire to deal Anthony before the Feb. 7 trade deadline, per Wojnarowski.
"Anthony wants to be traded to a team that allows him the chance to win consistently and compete for a championship," Paul told Wojnarowski.
As for the timing of the trade request, Paul told Wojnarowski: "Anthony wanted to be honest and clear with his intentions and that's the reason for informing them of this decision now. That's in the best interests of both Anthony's and the organization's future."
Shams Charania of The Athletic also reports Davis has had conversations with his teammates prior to this decision. Additionally, The New York Times' Marc Stein reports Paul has not given the Pelicans a preferred trade destination for Davis. Stein also reports that when asked if the Pelicans would honor Davis' request before the trade deadline, Paul said: "They haven't said much, but we wanted to do the right thing to let them know by the deadline so they could do what's best for the organization going forward."
All-Star Anthony Davis‘ agent, Rich Paul, notified the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday that Davis will not sign a contract extension and has requested a trade, Paul says. Davis also had conversations with teammates prior to his decision.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 28, 2019
On timing of telling Pelicans now, Rich Paul tells ESPN: "Anthony wanted to be honest and clear with his intentions and that's the reason for informing them of this decision now. That's in the best interests of both Anthony's and the organization's future."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 28, 2019
Anthony Davis' agent Rich Paul tells @NYTSports he has NOT given the Pelicans a preferred trade destination for Davis. But Davis' July 2020 free agency obviously gives hm huge say in where he lands since no team will surrender meaningful assets for a player it can't re-sign
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 28, 2019
Asked if the Pels would honor Anthony Davis' request before the Feb. 7 trade deadline, agent Rich Paul told @NYTSports: "They haven't said much, but we wanted to do the right thing to let them know by the deadline so they could do what's best for the organization going forward."
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 28, 2019
This news presents a prime opportunity for the Los Angeles Lakers to make a run at Davis. Paul also represents Lakers star LeBron James and the team has been determined to acquire Davis in a deal, Wojnarowski reports.
The Boston Celtics have also been rumored off and on for years as a potential landing spot for Davis. The Celtics have a treasure trove of assets -- young players, future Draft picks and veterans on favorable deals -- that could make such a super-trade possible. However, the Celtics cannot deal for Davis because a rule tied to when he and current Celtics star guard Kyrie Irving signed their last contract extensions.
Known as the "Rose Rule," this provision allows certain players coming off their rookie-scale contracts to earn 30 percent of the salary cap as opposed to 25 percent. To be eligible, a player must have achieved one of the following four accolades in his first four seasons: Kia MVP award, Kia Defensive Player of the Year Award or two All-NBA selections. (When Davis and Irving inked their extensions, All-Star selections were in the wording instead of Kia DPOY.) Davis was a two-time All-Star by the summer of 2015 (when he signed his extension) as was Irving (when he did likewise in the summer of 2014).
Per the NBA collective bargaining agreement, teams cannot trade for more than one player who has signed an extension under the "Rose Rule." The Celtics picked up Irving from the Cleveland Cavaliers in August of 2017, so they cannot trade for Davis until Irving either leaves in free agency or agrees to a new deal. The earliest that can take place is July 1, 2019.
Davis is averaging 29.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.6 blocks per game this season. He'll 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 Feb. 17 in Charlotte.
He was diagnosed with a sprained left finger late last week that was expected to sideline him up to two weeks. The injury occurred in a 128-112 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Jan. 18. Various other injuries -- including an ankle injury earlier in the season and a hip injury in November -- have limited Davis to 41 games this season.
Despite those bumps in the road, though, Davis has been spectacular when healthy. He has scored 30 or more points 12 times this season and 40 or more points seven times. However, the Pelicans are just 11-8 in those 19 games.
New Orleans is 22-28 and has lost three straight and seven of its last eight games, putting it at No. 13 in the Western Conference playoff chase. Last season, Davis was instrumental in the Pelicans' playoff run, powering them into the postseason as the No. 6 seed. Once there, they swept the No. 3-seeded Portland Trail Blazers in the first round before losing in five games in the West semifinals to the Golden State Warriors.
He's an elite superstar on a team that hasn't gotten past the second round of the playoffs since he's been in New Orleans -- and in four of his first six full seasons, the Pelicans didn't qualify for the postseason at all.
His telling New Orleans that he wants out is the latest power move by a star player who wants to get traded, following a path now similar to what Kawhi Leonard did when he wanted to be traded by San Antonio and what Paul George did when he decided it was time to move on from Indiana. Telling the Pelicans that he won't re-sign with them provides a blunt message: Move me, or lose me for nothing.
But New Orleans, which controls Davis' contract through the 2019-20 season, has been steadfast for months: The Pelicans have no desire to move their best player, who is in line to sign a $240 million, five-year extension in 2020.
"We're not trading him," Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said last month, one of many times he's addressed the topic. "I can say that to the world. We're not going to trade him, no matter what. That's not an option."
A five-time All-Star, Davis was an All-NBA first team member in three of the last four seasons. He has made three All-Defensive teams in his career and is the Pelicans' all-time leader in points scored, rebounds, blocks, field goals attempted and made and free throws attempted and made.
A year ago at this time, the Pelicans had perhaps the most dominant frontcourt in the NBA with Davis lining up with DeMarcus Cousins. Then Cousins tore his Achilles, and wound up signing this past summer with Golden State.
If Davis is traded and plays out the rest of his current contract, his new team could sign him to a five-year, $205 million extension next summer. If he enters unrestricted free agency in 2020, the most Davis could sign for with a new team is four years at $152 million.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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