The New Orleans Pelicans are likely to acquiesce to Anthony Davis' desire to play out the remainder of the regular season, but they will have a few caveats, including lessening the minute load and restricting him from back-to-back outings, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Davis currently plays 37 minutes per game and could potentially see less or no back-to-backs from here until the end of the 2018-19 regular season.
Davis expressed his desire to play for the remainder of this campaign if he wasn't traded by the deadline, as being shut down in his prime wasn't the most appealing of options, considering he's a young talent at 25.
The Pelicans will want to keep their prized talisman asset from a potential injury, given how most of their hopes rest on what they could get for him in a trade come July 1.
Suitors like the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and even the L.A. Clippers will call the Pelicans inquiring about Davis come the start of the free agency period, and an injury could depress his trade value.
Limiting his appearances and the wear-and-tear in his body will help the Pels kill two birds with one stone (that sounded murder-y coming from another bird) — try to lose as many games as possible to garner a high lottery pick and keep their best trade cog healthy and productive, as rival general managers salivate over his talent.
Davis has missed the team's last nine games with a finger avulsion and being kept out of the hardwood by the front office as they oversaw trade opportunities prior to the deadline. The Brow is averaging a career-best 29.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.6 blocks and 1.7 steals per game in his seventh season in the league.
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