NBA Rumors: Anthony Davis Comments On Trade Request, Says He ‘Can’t Be Mad’ If He Remains A Pelican

After announcing in January that he was not interested in signing a contract extension with the New Orleans Pelicans and that he would like to be traded, Anthony Davis remained a Pelican until the end of the 2018-19 NBA season. And with New Orleans’ season officially over as they finished tied for 12th place in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record, Davis spoke to reporters on Wednesday about what the future could hold for him in the offseason.

As quoted by Yahoo Sports, Davis acknowledged the possibility that he may be traded this summer but added that he still has one guaranteed year remaining on his current contract. Despite his prior trade request, Davis said he doesn’t “have any ill will” toward the Pelicans’ organization.

“I know that it’s a possibility that next year I could be here as well,” Davis said. “So I can’t be mad if I’m here next year.”

According to Yahoo Sports‘ Liz Roscher, Davis’ comments about not being mad if he remains a Pelican in 2019-20 came off as unexpected, especially since he appeared to be hinting at his imminent departure after Tuesday’s season finale against the Golden State Warriors. Following that game, Davis was spotted wearing a Looney Tunes “That’s All, Folks” t-shirt underneath his jacket, though the 26-year-old big man later denied that the shirt had any significance, explaining that he simply wore it because it was hung in his locker for him to wear.

Regarding the possibility that he will be again the center of trade talks in the summer, Anthony Davis emphasized that he’s had a “great” time playing for the Pelicans. He said that he plans to take a wait-and-see attitude with regard to New Orleans’ organizational situation, as the team looks for someone to replace general manager Dell Demps, who was fired in February.

Anthony Davis said he doesn’t regret asking for a trade from the Pelicans, but acknowledges there is still a possibility he could start next season in New Orleans. (via @NickFriedell)https://t.co/2a8vUM1ecu

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 10, 2019

As noted by Yahoo Sports, the Los Angeles Lakers, who had failed to land Davis prior to the February trade deadline, also have a key executive vacancy to fill following Magic Johnson’s resignation as team president on Tuesday. Commenting on the situation, Davis told reporters that he has “no idea” of what’s happening in Los Angeles, but stressed that his feelings for the Lakers remain unchanged despite Johnson’s departure. He did, however, remain noncommittal when it came to whether he would specifically want to be traded to the Lakers or not.

“[The Lakers are] a great organization. Just like 29 other organizations.”

Given his well-documented trade request, his denial that he had purposely worn a “That’s All Folks” shirt to troll Pelicans fans after the season finale, and his repeated comments on Wednesday about enjoying his time in New Orleans, SB Nation wrote that everything adds up to make Anthony Davis the “worst villain” in the NBA. The outlet’s Matt Ellentuck opined that Davis’ words and actions make it appear that he wants to avoid being at the center of his “self-created mess,” while also making his relationship with the Pelicans and their fans “wildly uncomfortable” in the final days of the 2018-19 NBA season.