David Griffin’s efforts might fall on deaf ears.
Griffin, who was hired as the New Orleans Pelicans’ new executive vice president of basketball operations in April, met with Anthony Davis and his agent, Rich Paul, on Wednesday in Los Angeles to discuss plans for the organization moving forward, according to multiple reports.
League sources told Shams Charania of The Athletic that it’s highly unlikely Davis will waver on his trade request, though, suggesting the six-time All-Star still might be dealt before the 2019-20 season despite New Orleans landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and the opportunity to select Duke phenom Zion Williamson.
Davis asked to be traded in January. The Pelicans chose not to deal him before the Feb. 7 trade deadline, but the presumption was New Orleans would fulfill the 26-year-old’s request during the offseason, when New Orleans could start a real bidding war and maximize its return. The Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks are among the teams rumored to be interested in trading for Davis.
The Pelicans have since fired general manager Dell Demps, replacing him with Griffin and new GM Trajan Langdon. Perhaps most importantly, they won the NBA draft lottery, sparking debate as to whether the team now might be able to convince Davis to stay in light of the stunning development.
Charania’s report dumps all over that possibility, but at least Griffin and Davis had a “respectful, productive” conversation that could open the door for more dialogue before the Pelicans are forced to make a franchise-altering decision.
Davis is eligible to sign a five-year, $235.5 million supermax contract extension on July 1. He can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
