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The rumors surrounding Pelicans star Anthony Davis’ desire to get out of New Orleans came to fruition early Monday morning. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Davis has informed the Pelicans that he will not sign a new deal with the team once his current contract expires.
Agent Rich Paul has notified the New Orleans Pelicans that All-NBA forward Anthony Davis has no intention of signing a contract extension if and when presented and that he has requested a trade, Paul told ESPN on Monday.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 28, 2019
Davis’ agent Rich Paul, who also represents Lakers forward LeBron James, informed ESPN of his client’s intentions on Monday. According to The New York Times’ Marc Stein, Davis has not given General Manager Dell Demps a list of preferred landing spots. Even without a list, Davis’ looming contract situation will dictate the list of teams willing to exchange significant assets in a trade.
Anthony Davis' agent Rich Paul tells @NYTSports he has NOT given the Pelicans a preferred trade destination for Davis. But Davis' July 2020 free agency obviously gives hm huge say in where he lands since no team will surrender meaningful assets for a player it can't re-sign
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 28, 2019
Davis will have the opportunity to become a free agent in the summer of 2020 if he decides to decline his a $28.7 million player option for the 2020-21 season. Drafted out of Kentucky with the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by New Orleans, Davis holds career averages of 24 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.