Anthony Davis Requests Trade From Pelicans

The Pelicans received disastrous news Monday.

Anthony Davis has requested a trade from the organization, according to Stadium NBA Insider Shams Charania. Rich Paul, Davis’ agent, confirmed the news. Davis is currently sidelined with a finger injury, but he’s the latest major superstar to hit the trade market that has suddenly gotten hot.

Davis is a superstar entering his prime, the type of player any franchise would like to build around. His trade request is a devastating blow for the Pelicans because it means two things. First, it means Davis would be sacrificing a lot of money by rejecting New Orleans’ nearly $240 million supermax contract the organization planned to offer him. Second, the franchise will have to replace a lot of value on the court.

In a way, the Pelicans lucked into Davis when they dealt Chris Paul to the Clippers in 2012. New Orleans landed the top overall pick and Davis was the consensus choice. He had the all the skills of a prototypical big man with enough of an outside shot to stretch the floor. He had some questions about durability, but Davis was the star New Orleans needed to replace Paul.

Davis is averaging 29.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game this season while shooting 50.8 percent from the floor. He’s also dishing out a career-high 4.4 assists per game, but the Pelicans failed to surround Davis with the right mix of talent in a variety of overpays and bad trades. It sure would be nice for New Orleans to have Buddy Hield right about now.

The Pelicans are in a tough situation. Trading Davis at the deadline might not result in the best return, but it gives New Orleans the chance to set itself up for the offseason ahead of time. The Lakers have been considered the front-runners to land Davis, but their young assets have taken a significant hit in value over the last three weeks. The Celtics can easily offer the best package for Davis, but they can’t do anything as long as Kyrie Irving is on the roster due to a wrinkle in the CBA. No team can trade for two players who qualified for and signed max extensions off their rookie deals, which both Irving and Davis did. This rule, called the “Rose Rule” because Derrick Rose was the first to get such a deal, states a team can only have one player on the roster with such a contract.

According to Paul, Davis wants to go to a contending team this season. There’s no guarantee he will re-sign with that team, but there will be several organizations making offers for the star. The Pelicans had their chance to keep Davis and made too many missteps. Now, they’ll have to find a way to successfully pivot after dealing their superstar.