Anthony Davis has said all the right things publicly about wanting to remain with the New Orleans Pelicans and help the team win a championship, but the five-time All-Star has finally run out of patience.
Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday that Davis has informed the Pelicans he will not sign an extension with them and would like to be traded.
Agent Rich Paul has notified the New Orleans Pelicans that All-NBA forward Anthony Davis has no intention of signing a contract extension if and when presented and that he has requested a trade, Paul told ESPN on Monday.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 28, 2019
Rich Paul to ESPN on a preferred destination for Anthony Davis: "Anthony wants to be traded to a team that allows him the chance to win consistently and compete for a championship."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 28, 2019
The Pelicans could offer Davis a five-year, $240 million extension this summer, and they also have the ability to pay him nearly $90 million more than any other team if and when he becomes a free agent following the 2019-2020 season. However, previous reports have indicated that Davis is not going to simply follow the money.
Davis is just 25, so the Pelicans would probably prefer to build around him rather than unload him — even if they are 22-28 and on their way to missing the playoffs. But if Davis doesn’t care about their ability to offer more money and has no intention of signing an extension, they may have no choice but to trade him.
There will be plenty of teams interested in acquiring Davis, who is having yet another dominant season with 29.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. As his agent specified, Davis wants to go to a championship contender. He reportedly has a wish list of four teams he would like to play for, though one of them probably would not provide him an opportunity to win now.
