If Anthony Davis has requested a trade in hopes of being sent to the Los Angeles Lakers prior to next week’s NBA trade deadline, it does not sound like he is going to get his wish.
According to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN, the New Orleans Pelicans already appear to be playing hardball with the Lakers. Pelicans GM Dell Demps has been answering and returning phone calls from teams regarding potential Davis trades, but he has yet to return a call from Lakers GM Rob Pelinka.
While Demps will almost certainly have a discussion with Pelinka at some point before next Thursday’s trade deadline, the ESPN report speculates that the Pelicans could be sending a message that they believe the Lakers are partially responsible for Davis wanting to be trading and saying he will not sign an extension with New Orleans. Plus, the Pelicans believe the Lakers would offer the same deal this summer that they would offer now, and waiting until after the season would allow the Boston Celtics to formally enter the sweepstakes.
The Pelicans seemingly made it clear on Wednesday night that they are moving on from Davis, but there is no need for them to do it prior to next Thursday. Even if Davis refuses to sign a long-term extension with any team other than the Lakers, there have been plenty of indications that other teams are willing to trade for him without those assurances.
