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On Monday morning, Anthony Davis and his agent, Rich Paul, informed the New Orleans Pelicans that they are not interested in signing a contract extension. This revelation caught some by surprise, but Davis felt it was the right time, according to a person close to the situation.
Rather than dragging the process out, Davis did the Pelicans a solid by informing them in advance.
Just spoke to someone close to Anthony Davis about today's news.
Their thoughts: "It's just time for him to make that move. He always wanted to give everything he had to the organization. He feels like putting the request out now is his way of doing right by them."
— Will Guillory (@WillGuillory) January 28, 2019
Paul, who also represents LeBron James, detailed Davis' mindset in an interview with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:
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“Anthony wants to be traded to a team that allows him a chance to win consistently and compete for a championship,” Paul told ESPN. “Anthony wanted to be honest and clear with his intentions and that's the reason for informing them of this decision now. That's in the best interests of both Anthony's and the organization's future.”
Davis would be eligible to sign a five-year, $240 million supermax extension this summer. The former Kentucky Wildcat can become a free agent in the summer of 2020. And just for the record, New Orleans has expressed no interest in trading him before the Feb. 7 deadline.
Though he's currently sidelined due to a finger injury, there are already several teams interested in Davis' services, including the Los Angles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
In 41 appearances with the Pelicans this season (all starts), Davis has racked up averages of 29.3 points on 50.8 percent shooting from the field (32.5 percent from beyond the arc), 13.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.6 blocks and 1.7 steals in 37.0 minutes per outing.
