NBA Rumors: For Anthony Davis, Pelicans Are Listening To Offers, ‘The Athletic’ Says

The long-ago saga of Anthony Davis’ trade request is about to start again, as his team, the New Orleans Pelicans, is reportedly “listening to offers” for the star big man.

Per The Athletic, Davis and his representation met this week with David Griffin, the Pelican’s new personnel boss, and while the meeting was respectful, Davis’ stance is “highly unlikely to change,” when it comes to wanting a move out of New Orleans. Following the meeting, Griffin “has begun listening to teams and their inquiries on Davis.”

There are no reports about a trade being imminent, and the Pelicans are expected to keep listening through the draft later this month.

According to rival league executives, the teams able to assemble the best packages for Davis are the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets.

Davis, who has played in New Orleans for his entire career, announced in January that he would not be re-signing with the team when he becomes eligible for free agency in 2020, and that he was requesting a trade. The Pelicans negotiated with other teams prior to the February trade deadline, including the Los Angeles Lakers, although no trade was made, and the team fired general manager Dell Demps after the deadline.

As teams continue placing calls on Anthony Davis, Pelicans and executive VP David Griffin have begun listening to teams, league sources told @TheAthleticNBA. Inside Pass on Davis and more from around the league: https://t.co/YjRmRT2JU2

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 4, 2019

The Pelicans and Lakers were not able to agree on a trade before the deadline, but both teams are now led by different front offices than they were then, as Magic Johnson resigned from his position with the Lakers at the end of the regular season. The Lakers also obtained the fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, giving them a trade asset that they lacked during the previous trade talks.

After the season, Griffin – who ran the front office in Cleveland when LeBron James played there and during a championship – was placed in charge of the Pelicans’ player personnel department, and the team won the top overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, giving them a shot at Duke star Zion Williamson. That gave the Pelicans the options of attempting to sell Davis on a future in New Orleans alongside Williamson or, failing that, a trade of Davis for a package of young players and/or draft picks that the team could use to build a new nucleus with Williamson.

In the meantime, per The Athletic, Davis has continued to socialize and work out with other New Orleans players, including guard Jrue Holiday.