What’s next for Anthony Davis?
That’s one of the NBA’s biggest storylines, as the uber-talented big man is stuck on a mediocre New Orleans Pelicans team that won’t contend for a title anytime soon. But Davis suggested Thursday he doesn’t plan on going anywhere until his Pelicans contract expires after the 2020-21 season.
“I’m here until 2021 and then I’ll make a decision from there,” Davis said, via The Advocate’s Scott Kushner. “I don’t plan on leaving in the next couple of years or anything like that. I’ve always said I wanted to be here and that’s still true.”
Davis has been a loyal Pels employee, sticking with the franchise since it drafted him No. 1 overall in 2012 (then as the Charlotte Hornets) despite enjoying just one winning season in that span. New Orleans rewarded him by roping in DeMarcus Cousins last February, but his patience has been tested — Cousins went down with a season-ending Achilles injury in January, and another season appears to be lost.
Still, Davis says he wants to see things through.
“We have taken steps to be a winning franchise,” he added. “We have just been hit with the injury bug every year since I’ve been here so we can’t see our full potential.”
There are minor indications he may be ready for a change, though. A report surfaced in December that Davis confronted Pelicans general manager Dell Demps about a possible trade to the Boston Celtics and wondered aloud if the organization had his back.
His latest comments about Kevin Garnett also hint at a desire for greener pastures, and the 24-year-old admitted Thursday he’s taking a “year-by-year” approach, adding, “Of course at some point, you want to win.”
For now, it looks like the Davis sweepstakes will have to wait until 2021 free agency. But the door for a trade isn’t exactly slammed shut.
