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Anthony Davis did not take the floor as the Portland Trail Blazers vanquished the New Orleans Pelicans in a 132-119 victory last night. That score alone confirms his importance to New Orleans. Speculation abounds about his future there when his current contract expires should they not improve. This morning Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports published an extensive article on Davis, tackling both topics.
Haynes captures Davis reflecting on his current status with the Pelicans and the team’s precarious position in the NBA’s Western Conference.
“Of course, I know that in order to win games, a lot of pressure is going to be on me,” Davis told Yahoo Sports while sitting at his locker stall Wednesday night. “If we lose, it’s on me. If we win, they give my team the credit and I’m fine with that.
“A perfect example [was against the Warriors]. I don’t have a good game and we lose. So, I got to play almost perfect every night to give us a chance to win...”
The more tantalizing part of the piece comes when Haynes and Davis get around to trade rumors. Haynes says Davis is “expected to opt out of his contract in 2020” and that some executives are expecting him to turn down a super-max extension with the Pelicans. The usual, big-name franchises are said to be possible destinations, starting with the Los Angeles Lakers, but continuing beyond the obvious:
Boston, Golden State, New York and the Los Angeles Clippers will also be some of the teams monitoring Davis’ situation, sources told Yahoo Sports.
Haynes quotes Davis saying he’s not listening to such talk.
“I really don’t listen to [the noise] to be honest,” he told Yahoo Sports. “I hear it from everywhere from social media, to people around you. But my biggest thing is focusing on playing basketball. That’s all I can do.
Haynes has much more from, and about, Davis. Trail Blazers fans might be interested because of his talent, or because their own All-NBA player, Damian Lillard, will face a similar decision a year after Davis does.