Anthony Davis Will Play for Pelicans After No Lakers Trade at Deadline

The New Orleans Pelicans announced Thursday night star Anthony Davis will remain active in the lineup for the rest of the season: 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski initially reported the news.

The team considered shutting down the center for the rest of the year to keep him healthy for a potential trade, but he will instead play for the next few months.

According to Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Advocate, he will play significant minutes:

Davis had been the subject of trade rumors since his agent requested a trade at the end of January.

The team held him out of Wednesday's game against the Chicago Bulls to avoid a possible injury before a deal. While he had missed the previous few weeks with a finger injury, he wasn't on the injury report for the last game.

New Orleans didn't deal him before Thursday's deadline, although it remains likely they will in the offseason. Keeping him healthy therefore remains a priority, but the team figured it was better to let him play:

At 24-31, the Pelicans are likely not headed to the playoffs regardless of whether Davis plays. Not only would sitting him keep him healthy, but it would also likely cause New Orleans to lose more games and earn a higher draft pick.

However, the Pelicans decided to risk it all by playing their best player—preserving the "integrity of the game" while also following Davis' wishes to be on the court.