It's Super Bowl week, and the sports world's marquee event features a team led by the greatest quarterback ever on the last legs of its dynasty against an upstart outfit from America's glitziest city. The New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams, though, aren't dominating headlines to the extent Super Bowl participants normally do at this time of year. Why? The NBA's trade season began early, with superstar big man Anthony Davis formally requesting a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans.

General manager Dell Demps isn't the only one orchestrating trade discussions revolving around Davis. Mickey Loomis, the Pelicans' executive vice president of basketball operations, also has a say in the proceedings, as does owner Gayle Benson. It's not exactly rare for organizational higher-ups with little basketball acumen to wield an excess amount of influence in team-building decisions concerning a player of Davis' caliber. What makes this specific situation complicated is that Loomis and Benson occupy the same roles for the Pelicans as they do with the New Orleans Saints, a dynamic that ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski notes gives them a unique, and potentially debilitating perspective on the NBA's team-player power structure.

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The unfolding of the Davis situation has shed a light on the Pelicans' unusual front-office structure, in particular the power of executives from the NFL's New Orleans Saints — including Mickey Loomis, the Pelicans' executive vice president of basketball operations and Demps' nominal boss. The Pelicans' environment is steeped in the NFL's top-down power culture, which contributes to a level of defiance in catering to a player trade request like Davis'.

Demps and his basketball operations staff handle trade discussions, but Loomis — the Saints' top football executive — will have a significant voice in how the Pelicans proceed with the Davis saga.

Interesting. At least the Saints were robbed in the NFC Championship game, right? Loomis and Benson would have even more on their plates if Drew Brees and company were gearing up for the Super Bowl. As is, and like many other sports fans intrigued by the intricate layers of the Davis saga, they can focus on ensuring the Pelicans make the deal that best situates them for the future.

What that is, unfortunately for all of us, remains to be seen.