Pelicans Owner Understands Anthony Davis Decision, Celtics Remain Favorites

Anthony Davis' impending departure from the New Orleans Pelicans in the summer has been known since the power forward demanded a trade in January and his employers denied him a chance to leave prior to the Feb. 7 trade deadline. But Pelicans owner Gayle Benson has been silent on the matter until Monday when she finally addressed their prized player’s decision to leave the team.

The Pelicans forward made it clear he wanted to leave in order to join a team that would allow him to challenge for championships on a regular basis. Davis has spent his entire career with the New Orleans franchise with only All-Star appearances to show for it.

The six-time All-Star is considered among the top five players in the NBA at the moment and will be courted by every franchise in the summer. And Davis revealed that all 29 teams will have the chance to sign him, while the final decision lies with the Pelicans. The Pelicans will choose his next destination depending on the offers on the table. The Los Angeles Lakers were leading the chase following his trade demand in February, but their offer of five players and future draft picks was turned down.

The Lakers will have considerable competition in the summer with numerous other teams entering the fray, especially the Boston Celtics, who are long-time admirers of the power forward. The Celtics are also among the teams that have the best assets in order to get the trade over the line.

The entire Davis saga has seen his relationship with the Pelicans sour in recent months and he is now on restricted minutes until the end of the season. He has been playing an average of 21 minutes in a game but has not been a regular in the lineup.

While the fans may have turned on him in recent weeks, especially after he was seeing leaving the arena before the end of a game, Benson admitted she understood Davis needed to do “what’s best for him”. Benson also made it clear the team needs to move on despite the disappointment of losing their best player.

"I'm disappointed. But I wish Anthony the best of luck. He needs to do what's best for him. If he feels like he needs to leave, we understand. We're going to miss him. But again, we need to move on,” Benson said, as quoted on the New Orleans Advocate.

Davis will be in high demand in the summer and his agent Rich Paul, who also manages LeBron James is said to be keen to see him in the purple and gold, but the Celtics, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers could all be in play, come summer.