Pelicans’ Davis fined $50K for trade demand
New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis has been fined $50,000 by the NBA after his agent, Rich Paul, told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday that his client “wants to be traded to a team that allows him a chance to win consistently and compete for a championship.”
Here’s what each team can really put on the table in trade talks.
The Pelicans face a pivotal moment in Anthony Davis’ trade request.
Anthony Davis won’t be traded before next Thursday’s NBA trade deadline unless the Pelicans receive an overwhelming offer, sources say. The Lakers plan to make an aggressive push, according to sources.
The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement prohibits players or their agents from publicly requesting a trade.
Paul, of Klutch Sports, told ESPN on Monday that he had informed the Pelicans that Davis wouldn’t sign an extension this summer and wanted a trade. Multiple league sources expect the agent and star to soon deliver word throughout the league that Davis’ preferred destination is the Los Angeles Lakers and he’ll become a rental player until 2020 with a trade anywhere else.
NBA spokesman Mike Bass told ESPN on Monday night that the league had commenced an investigation earlier that morning upon reading the reports regarding Davis.
The NBA’s statement announcing the fine cited the comments made by Paul as “an intentional effort to undermine the contractual relationship between Davis and the Pelicans.”
The Pelicans plan to listen to offers on Davis, but won’t make a deal before next Thursday’s NBA trade deadline unless they’re offered an overwhelming package for the franchise’s star, league sources told Wojnarowski.