Anthony Davis made it quite clear this season that he no longer wants to stay with the New Orleans Pelicans. He publicly requested a trade from the franchise back in February, and there were very public trade negotiations with the Los Angeles Lakers, Davis' reported preferred destination.

Now what's left between Davis and the Pelicans is a severed relationship, and it seems the only way for the team to move on from this complicated situation is to trade him so they can get value in return and be done with it.

But is there a way for the Pelicans to reconcile with Davis and convince him to stay with the franchise?

Well, it is obvious that Pelicans management is doing their part. They just hired former Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin to be their executive vice president of basketball operations, and the veteran executive is already working on recruiting Davis to stay.

Griffin has already reached out to Davis' agent, Rich Paul, to try to mend fences and hopefully work things out. Griffin has even expressed some confidence that Davis will want to stay. Now, this is not a guarantee that AD will suddenly have a change of heart, but the Pelicans are making the effort.

Convincing Davis to stay with the Pelicans is a long shot, but if there's anyone who can do it, it's Griffin. The new Pelicans executive was instrumental in building the Cavs' championship roster, and he's well-respected around the league, including by LeBron James. Griffin could try to sell an ambitious vision of the future in New Orleans, and maybe that gets Davis' attention.

It's also possible that Griffin's conversation with AD's camp didn't result in anything truly positive about the future in New Orleans. Maybe he's just making these public statements in an attempt to gain some type of leverage in negotiations. A Davis trade will help jumpstart the Pelicans' rebuild, and if they can't keep him, they will surely try to get the most out of his suitors. Griffin is sending a strong message to the rest of the league that if you want Davis, be prepared to pay a hefty price. The Pels won't be giving him away easily.

If the teams who will actively pursue Davis this summer know there's a chance he'll stick with the Pels, they may add more assets to their trade offers. This situation could still end up benefiting New Orleans.

The best-case scenario is that Griffin is able to convince Davis and his camp to stick around for the long haul. While that feels impossible, no matter what Griffin says, things could still turn out okay if there's a trade and the return is massive. Suitors like the Lakers and Boston Celtics will be duking it out for Davis' services, and there will surely be other teams involved as well.

Ultimately, AD will almost certainly be suiting up for another team next season. It's just way too difficult to imagine the fences being mended after the fiasco this season, and New Orleans needs to get a lot of value back in a trade as opposed to losing him for nothing in free agency.

However, David Griffin is going to try his hardest to convince Davis to stay. Even if he doesn't, Pelicans fans should have faith in his ability to handle this situation and put the franchise in the best position moving forward in a post-AD era.