NBA Rumors: Anthony Davis ‘Wants To Be Traded’ To A Championship Contender, Reports ESPN’s Wojnarowski
Since the 2018 NBA offseason, the New Orleans Pelicans continue to remind everyone in the league that they have no intention of making Anthony Davis available on the market before the February NBA trade deadline. The Pelicans revealed that their current focus is to make a deep playoff run in the Western Conference and when the season is over, they will try to convince the All-Star big man to sign a massive contract extension. That made most people believe that Davis will be finishing the season in New Orleans.
Unfortunately, things are starting to change as the February NBA trade deadline approaches. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Anthony Davis’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, has informed the Pelicans that “The Brow” doesn’t have any plan of inking a longer contract next summer. Davis has reportedly expressed his desire to be moved to “a team that allows him the chance to win consistently and compete for a championship.”
“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. Davis could sign a 5-year, $240M contract extension this summer, and can become a free agent in the summer of 2020.”
ESPN story on agent Rich Paul informing New Orleans that All-NBA star Anthony Davis won't sign an extension and wants a trade. https://t.co/7e7FCVKHAy
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 28, 2019
It’s no longer a surprise that Anthony Davis demanded a trade from the Pelicans. His departure from New Orleans has been one of the most talked about topics in the league since he hired Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group as his new representative. Whenever Davis’ name surfaces in trade rumors, the Los Angeles Lakers, where Paul’s biggest client, LeBron James, currently plays, emerged as one of his top landing spots.
The Lakers currently have a plethora of trade assets to engage in a blockbuster deal and since the acquisition of LeBron James in free agency, President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka revealed that they are actively searching for their second superstar. As mentioned in a previous Inquisitr article, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram will “likely” be part of the trade package that the Lakers could offer to the Pelicans for Davis.
So far, the only team that could beat the Lakers when it comes to trade assets is the Boston Celtics. However, the Celtics can’t trade for Anthony Davis before the February NBA trade deadline unless they are willing to send All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to New Orleans. Per league rules, a team can only have one player on their roster who signed under the “Derrick Rose Rule.”
