Woj: 'My Sense' Is Anthony Davis Looking for Reasons to Stay with Pelicans
October 23, 2018
Anthony Davis' name always seems to come up in trade rumors and free-agency talk, but the New Orleans Pelicans star reportedly isn't trying to force his way out of town.
In fact, it may be the opposite. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said on the Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective Show (h/t RealGM):
"My sense has always been with Anthony that he is always: some players are looking for reasons to stay and some players are looking for reasons to leave. I've always thought that Anthony is a guy looking for reasons to stay in New Orleans. And I think that will continue to be the case until he feels he's out of them."
If Davis needs reasons to stay in the Big Easy, he could have more than 200 million. According to Bobby Marks of ESPN.com, Davis will be eligible to sign an NBA-record extension next summer worth approximately $230 million, since he earned an All-NBA selection in two of the past three seasons.
When he signed a five-year, $145 million deal in summer 2015, Davis proclaimed he was "here to stay":
Including the 2018-19 campaign, Davis has two guaranteed years remaining on his deal. He also holds a $28.8 million player option for 2020-21.
He's coming off a season in which he finished third in NBA MVP voting after he averaged 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.6 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. Not only that, but he also helped the Pelicans sweep the third-seeded Portland Trail Blazers to advance past the opening round of the playoffs for the first time since 2007-08.
The five-time All-Star created buzz when he left longtime agent Thad Foucher for Rich Paul and Klutch Sports in September. While changing agents is common, it's notable that Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James' agent calls Davis a client.
The Pelicans star told reporters he felt a change was "necessary":
"I do think down the line that the Boston and L.A., if he became available, that will be interesting, especially if the Lakers get shut out this summer," Wojnarowski added.
New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry has said the team wouldn't trade Davis for anyone, "even Beyonce," according to Andrew Lopez of NOLA.com. Of course, a lot can change before the end of Davis' deal.
Davis has been a superstar over the first six-plus years of his career with the Pelicans. He may soon have a chance to commit to the organization even longer, so all eyes will be on Davis if/when an offer hits the table.