METAIRIE, La. — Anthony Davis wore a dark blue Pelicans hoodie with the sleeves cut off and “New Orleans” printed in red letters across the chest.
What he said after Friday’s practice, however, left no doubt that his heart was somewhere else.
“I gave the city, organization, fans everything I feel like I could,” said Davis, who is in his seventh NBA season and turns 26 on March 11. “I don’t know how long I’m going to play this game. People’s careers are short and I feel like it’s my time to move on.”
The All-Star forward and center, who recently informed New Orleans he would like to be traded, said his intention remains to play for the Pelicans as long as he is healthy and under contract with them.
Whether that happens remains in doubt.
Davis has missed six games since spraining his left index finger at Portland on Jan. 18.
“Obviously, it’s a tough situation, but my intention is to still play,” Davis said, adding that he could understand if the Pelicans would rather sit him out until they’ve decided where to ship him.
The Pelicans have made the playoffs only twice and have won only one playoff series since Davis was taken with the No. 1 pick of the 2012 draft.
Davis is averaging 29.3 points and 13.3 rebounds this season, but the Pelicans are 23-29.
A trade may not come until after the season, when 2019 draft slots are known and when the Boston Celtics are eligible to enter the fray.
Boston, which has a stockpile of draft picks and promising young players as trade bait, is not eligible to trade for Davis under NBA rules until July 1, unless the Celtics also trade away Kyrie Irving. Irving is a factor because of what’s known as the Rose Rule, which says NBA teams cannot trade for more than one player who has signed an extension. Irving currently is playing under an extension signed with Cleveland that has an option year after this season, meaning it could be renegotiated in a way that also allows Boston to bid for Davis.
ALL-STAR GAME: Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki are going to the All-Star Game one more time, having been added to the player pool by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
Wade will be retiring at the end of his 16th season. Nowitzki is in his 21st season and has not said if he is retiring.
BULLS: Carmelo Anthony has been waived, making the 10-time All-Star forward a free agent.
The Bulls acquired Anthony from Houston on Jan. 21 with the intention of trading him prior to the Feb. 7 deadline or letting him go. He averaged 13.4 points in 10 games with the Rockets but has not played since Nov. 8.
FRIDAY’S GAME
HORNETS 100, GRIZZLIES 92: Kemba Walker scored 23 points and Charlotte won at home.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.