Anthony Davis is focused on the Pelicans and not on LeBron's comments
The idea of any NBA star wanting to join LeBron James on the Los Angeles Lakers is exciting and bewitching — especially since the team is going to need another superstar to seriously compete. So when James said he’d love for the Lakers to trade for Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans, the attention of fans everywhere turned to Davis. Would he be interested? We now know the answer, and it’s probably not the one James was looking for.
Anthony Davis is focused on the Pelicans
After the Pelicans’ 123-115 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, Davis addressed James’ comments. He was flattered, but he’s staying focused on making his current team better. Via ESPN:
“I don’t really care. Obviously, it’s cool to hear any high-caliber player say they want to play with me. But my job is to turn this team around. If we’re 15-17, that means I’m not doing my job.”
What more could he really say? LeBron James wanting your talent on his team is a hefty compliment, but saying anything more than what Davis said would be a pretty big slam on his Pelicans teammates. The Pelicans are 15-17, but just two games out of first in the Southwest Division. There’s a lot of season left, and the Pelicans could still make something happen. Davis was clear that he’s not about to give up on his team.
Davis loves New Orleans, but his future is unclear
James said to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that the Lakers trading for Davis “would be amazing, like, duh. That would be incredible.” Getting Davis on the Lakers wouldn’t be impossible, but it would take a lot. He’s enormously talented, and Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said that they’re not looking to trade their star. He said that not even Beyonce could tempt him to trade Davis, which is setting the bar almost unattainably high.
Davis won’t hit free agency for another 18 months, but over the summer he’ll be eligible for a five-year supermax extension worth over $200 million. He hasn’t commented one way or another about the Pelicans offering him the supermax, but he’s been clear about how much he loves New Orleans. Via ESPN:
“When that time comes, of course we will see,” Davis said. “I love my teammates. I love New Orleans. I love the fans. I talk their slang. I love their food.”
Trade season is revving up. The Pelicans aren’t keen on trading Davis now, but who knows what offers could come their way, and what uniform Davis might be wearing just a few months from now.
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