New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry said the fallout from the Anthony Davis trade saga was the most “toxic” situation he has seen in more than three decades of NBA experience, noting his star player received “bad advice” in the process, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell.
Asked if he has seen such a toxic situation throughout his time in the league, Gentry was quick to answer:
“Not this toxic, no,” said Gentry. “Not that affected two teams. And two guys. One lost his job (Dell Demps), and the other one resigned from his job (Magic Johnson). So no, in 31 years I hadn't had anything that would equal this kind of fallout. No, I haven't.”
Demps lost his job due to his lack of accountability after his decisions throughout the course of the trade deadline, while Johnson had a multitude of reasons to leave a sinking ship in Los Angeles, which he did in shocking fashion on Tuesday night:
“I have no idea about what's going on in that organization,” Gentry said of the Lakers' situation. “I think we got enough to worry about on this side. So is it a surprise? Yes. Do we know why? I don't think anyone knows except Magic, so it's not anything that we spend a ton of time worrying about or thinking about. Obviously he felt like the time was right, he needed to do that, and that's what he did. Other than that, I have no idea what's going on there.”
Gentry remained polite when speaking of Davis, but couldn't help but give his two cents on the matter:
“I think he's a great kid,” Gentry said. “I think he's a very good kid. I think he's a solid guy. … I think he got some bad advice. You know me to just tell the truth.”
Asked how, Gentry quickly drew the line while giving Davis his rightful due:
“I'll leave it at that,” Gentry said. “But there's nothing wrong with AD. He's a good solid guy with good character. That's the way I feel.”
For all the machinations prior to his trade request and all the smoke screens and the string-pulling after it went public, Davis found himself playing for the same team, in a reduced role, and could wind up landing somewhere other than the Lakers, his preferred spot. This even after going through the process of changing agencies, opting to sign with Klutch Sports before the start of the season.
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