Anthony Davis has no regrets about in-season trade demand
Anthony Davis took a bit of a reputation hit when he publicly demanded that the New Orleans Pelicans trade him last season, but he has no regrets over the way he handled the situation.
One of the questions Davis was asked in a recent interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols was if he wishes he did anything differently when informing the Pelicans that he wanted out. He did not hesitate with his response, which you can see at about the 1:35 mark below.
Great conversation with @AntDavis23, on finally becoming a Laker, whether he'd change anything about the last year, trying to recruit Kawhi, why he thinks the Lakers are poised for a title…and oh yeah, I asked him how long he's planning on staying, too. pic.twitter.com/tzEXqU6KNo
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) July 15, 2019
“No, I wish I did it the way I did it,” he said. “I love the city of New Orleans, but from a professional standpoint I felt like it was time for me to move on.”
Davis added that the trade demand was about taking control of his own career and finally making his own decisions.
“I allowed people to tell me what to do and advise me to do things, and I’d think, ‘Alright, they’re looking out for me,'” he said. “Now, by me being able to take control of my career, any decision I make I can sleep at night. That’s the biggest thing for me.”
As for the timing, Davis claimed he felt it was appropriate since he was not planning to sign an extension with the Pelicans and wanted to give them an opportunity to get as much in return for him as possible. That would make more sense if he didn’t take the trade demand public, as that stripped the team of most of its leverage.
In the end, Davis ultimately got what he wanted. We saw a glimpse over the weekend of just how excited he is to be a Laker, so it’s no surprise he has no regrets over the way things unfolded.
