Getty New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis
The NBA trade deadline has passed and Anthony Davis is still with the New Orleans Pelicans. Questions not only remain about Davis’ future but what the Pelicans will do with the big man this season.
The Pelicans sat Davis in the games leading up to the deadline and now face a decision on how to handle the rest of the season. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported Davis plans to play for the Pelicans.
“If Anthony Davis is not traded today, he plans to play out the remainder of the season in the lineup for the Pelicans, a league source tells ESPN. ‘Every game,’ the source said. NOP’s held him out of the lineup the last 2 games even though he’s recovered from a finger fracture,” McMenamin tweeted.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Pelicans could consider sitting Davis for the rest of the season in an effort to prevent Davis from getting injured. If the Pelicans opt to sit Davis, the NBA could step in if Davis is ruled healthy. Davis is also expected to file a grievance if New Orleans tries to sit him out of games. Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reported Davis wants to play and would file a grievance under this scenario (via Hoops Hype).
It’s possible they’re going to hold [Davis] out until the conclusion of the trade deadline and even possibly after that if he remains a Pelican. There’s a chance during the second half of the season, I was told, that they would probably look to shut him down to a certain extent … If it does get to that point where he’s still a Pelican after the deadline and the organization decides to make that move on sitting him down, that’s where I think we’re in uncharted territory. And I know for a fact [he] will probably file a grievance.
Anthony Davis “Eagerly Wanted to Suit Up” Before the NBA Trade Deadline
Haynes also reported Davis “eagerly wanted to suit up” even before the deadline.
The New Orleans Pelicans’ front office prevented a healthy Anthony Davis from making his return from a finger injury on Monday night, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Davis, 25, eagerly wanted to suit up at home against the Indiana Pacers after recovering from a left finger avulsion that sidelined him for a little more than two weeks, sources said, but the organization elected to keep him inactive. There’s the impression that his absence could potentially extend until the conclusion of Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, sources said.
It was the first contest Davis was healthy enough to rejoin the team since sustaining the injury on Jan. 18, sources said.
The Pelicans Could Try to Sit AD for the Rest of the Season to Preserve His Trade Value
The Pelicans have not officially announced they plan to sit Davis, but there is wide speculation that they will. New Orleans opted not to trade Davis at the deadline, instead looking towards this summer when the Celtics will be able to make an offer. ESPN’s Bobby Marks suggested the Pelicans should sit Davis to preserve his trade value for the offseason.
“If Anthony Davis is not moved by the deadline, it’s in the best interest of the Pelicans to sit him out for the remainder of the season. The risk is too high for a player who has missed 66 games since 2012,” Marks tweeted.