Anthony Davis has created an awkward dynamic in the New Orleans Pelicans’ locker room by demanding a trade, and the team cannot fulfill his request now that the deadline has come and gone without a deal. Despite that, there are apparently some who believe the star big man’s time playing for the Pelicans could be over.
According to Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate, there are people within the Pelicans organization who think Davis will be benched when play resumes after the All-Star break.
Next week is going to be weird (again).
There are people within the Pelicans who believe AD has played his last game for the franchise.
AD has made it perfectly clear this weekend he intends to keep playing.
The NBA didn’t clarify its position. So what’s the tipping point?
— Scott Kushner (@ScottDKushner) February 18, 2019
The Pelicans are unmotivated to play Davis for the rest of the season out of fear that he might suffer an injury. They know he has no intention of signing with them long-term, so they are almost certainly going to trade him this summer. However, Davis has said he wants to keep playing, and the NBA reportedly threatened sanctions against New Orleans if they try to bench him while he’s healthy.
Davis suffered both finger and shoulder injuries before the All-Star Game, but he played just under five minutes on Sunday night despite seeming less than 100 percent healthy. Davis infuriated ownership with his antics after one of his recent injuries, and the two sides are trying to figure out how to proceed for the rest of the season.
