Pelicans GM Rumors: Danny Ferry Pulls out of Running Amid Anthony Davis Drama

New Orleans Pelicans interim general manager Danny Ferry will not pursue the team's full-time GM gig. 

Ferry released a statement to Will Guillory of The Athletic on Friday:

The 52-year-old executive became the Pels' interim GM after New Orleans fired Dell Demps, who ran basketball operations for nine years:

The Pels' new general manager will be tasked with finding a new home for All-Star big man Anthony Davis, who requested a trade on Jan. 28.

Drama has engulfed the Pels ever since.

The team removed Davis from its pregame introductory video days after the request.

A litany of rumors connecting Davis to the Lakers ensued, with everyone not named LeBron James seemingly on the table for the Pels to choose in a deal. Those players included Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, who were chosen second in the 2017 and 2016 drafts, respectively.

A move never occurred, however, and Johnson called out the Pels organization in a post-deadline press conference, responding "no" to a question from media asking whether he thought New Orleans acted in good faith during negotiations.

Less than one week later, Demps was relieved of his post just one year after constructing a team that swept the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs.

Davis stayed on the roster but was capped at 22 minutes after the All-Star break until he was shut down for good. New Orleans finished tied for second-to-last in the Western Conference with a disappointing 33-49 record, which was 15 games worse than last year.

New Orleans head coach Alvin Gentry told Nick Friedell of ESPN that the fallout from failed negotiations to send Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers was the most toxic situation he had seen in his 31 years involved in the NBA.

"Not this toxic, no," Gentry told Friedell. "Not that affected two teams. And two guys. One lost his job, and the other one resigned from his job. 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, and Johnson resigned from his post on Tuesday.

Ultimately, the Pels' gig may not be a desirable position for Ferry or anyone else right now.