Is Anthony Davis’ Latest Comment Sign Trade Request Is Coming?

Anthony Davis continues to do everything in his power to will the New Orleans Pelicans to victory, but lately it hasn’t been enough.

Davis scored 34 points and pulled down a franchise-record 26 rebounds in Wednesday night’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets that dropped New Orleans to 17-22, which is good for 14th place in the Western Conference. The 25-year-old star has been the focus of trade speculation for a while and his latest comments might not do much to silence the whispers.

Davis was asked after the loss if he thinks there will be a time when he envisions playing for a team that is better than 14th place in the Western Conference.

“I don’t,” Davis said cutting off the question, per The Advocate. “Next question.”

Questions about Davis’ future will hang over the Pelicans for the remainder of the season. The star forward won’t be a free agent until 2020, but he will be eligible for the five-year, $239 million extension July 1. If he were to turn down the extension, it would be a massive blow to the Pelicans and they would be forced to start fielding trade offers for the superstar.

If Davis does finally hit the trade market, there will be no shortage of teams interested in throwing assets at the Pelicans to acquire the generational talent, with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers being chief among them.

Of course, there always is the possibility that Davis becomes fed up with the losing this season and asks for a trade prior to the February deadline.

Davis has every right to be upset with his situation in New Orleans. A season ago, the Pelicans swept the No. 3 seed Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs. With the 2018-2019 NBA season at the midway point, the Pelicans have lost seven of 10 and are 4.5 games back of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West. New Orleans has gotten solid play from Jrue Holiday, Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton, but it hasn’t translated into wins.

Three years ago, Davis inked a six-year extension with the Pelicans, hoping to help them take over the Western Conference. As he begins to enter the prime of his career, New Orleans is worlds away from being a legitimate threat in the NBA and Davis’ time in the bayou could be ending as a result.