Anthony Davis’ latest comments will come as music to New Orleans Pelicans’ fans ears.
Although The Brow recently acknowledged he’s thought about becoming the next Kevin Garnett—loyal to a fault—he followed up these thoughts by reiterating his commitment to his current team, per The Advocate’s Scott Kushner:
“I’m here until 2021 and then I’ll make a decision from there. 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.”
“We have taken steps to be a winning franchise. We have just been hit with the injury bug every year since I’ve been here so we can’t see our full potential. We know where we could’ve been if we had those guys. But we don’t. We have to keep playing.”
You have to take it year by year. I don’t go into any year saying I don’t want to be here or nothing like that. Of course at some point you want to win. I feel like we are trying to get the right pieces around here.”
I think our front office is doing a better job. The best job they can do. I feel like we’re moving in the right direction. But you do have to take it year by year & see how it goes. That’s how I’m approaching it. Of course Cuz is a big factor, what he is going to do or not.”
On the whole, this is all good stuff. Davis doesn’t even talk about his ability to enter free agency in 2020 (player option). He seems genuinely interested in making it work with New Orleans.
Still, his situation is fluid. There’s no telling how he’ll feel this summer if the Pelicans fail to make playoffs, or what will happen if the team fails or decides not to re-sign DeMarcus Cousins. A tough talk may have to take place between him and the front office at some point—if not this offseason, then in 2019, when he’s one year out from free agency.
Failing an instant rise to title contention—unlikely anytime soon—the Pelicans will want something of an ironclad commitment from Davis, be it an informal one or an agreement to sign the designated player extension. And if, when the time comes, they do not get such an assurance, they’ll have to look at moving him, lest they risk losing him for nothing in 2020 or, less likely, 2021.
