Speaking today to reporters, new Pelicans head of basketball operations David Griffin reiterated that he remains focused on selling Anthony Davis on the idea of remaining in New Orleans, despite reports that Davis plans to stick to his trade request. According to Griffin, he intends to meet with the All-Star big man soon, as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com writes.
“We’ll probably sit together in Los Angeles at some point around the draft workouts that take place there,” Griffin said during a conference call to introduce newly-hired GM Trajan Langdon. “And I think that’s the next step — really to look each other in the eye and talk about what’s important to us. And we’re very optimistic from previous conversations with Rich Paul, his agent, and with all of the people here that know Anthony and know what he’s about, we’re very confident that we have a compelling situation for him here.”
When Paul publicly announced in January that his client wanted to be traded, his statement focused on Davis’ desire to join “a team that allows him a chance to win consistently and compete for a championship.” While Davis didn’t feel during the season as if the Pelicans were that team, the franchise has taken some positive steps since then, revamping its front office and hiring a respected executive in Griffin.
The Pels also lucked into the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, putting them in position to add Zion Williamson next month. In other words, the outlook in New Orleans is brighter than it was a few months ago, which is a point Griffin hopes to make when he meets with AD.
“If winning is what he is indeed all about, which we have every reason to believe, we feel confident that we can create — and are creating — the right environment for Anthony and frankly for high-caliber players of all types to want to be a part of,” Griffin said today, per Triplett. “This is something that we hope creates an energy that recruits itself, and Anthony would just be one step in that process.”
If Davis doesn’t waver on his stance and Griffin doesn’t believe the two sides can coexist going forward, the Knicks, Lakers, Celtics, Clippers, and a handful of other teams are viewed as possible trade partners for the Pelicans this summer.
If Davis wants to “win consistently and compete for championships” why are the Knicks one of his preferred teams?
The neurotoxic msg maxpile Gathering.
The KI-KD-AD and 9 beet farmers plan; the KIKDAD elite player conspiracy.
Rich Paul just moves on (a teflon agent). In my memory, I can’t think of a player agent giving a superstar client worse advice than Paul gave AD in (publicly) demanding a trade right before the deadline. It effectively ended the season for two teams, and tarnished AD’s image, perhaps irreparably. All for an undertaking that had almost no chance of success. I doubt the Pels (ownership, teammates or fans) want him back. More likely Griffin just wants it to appear to be an option.
Griffin absolutely wants him back. He wasn’t apart of the mess the previous front office made and is confident in his skills asa GM. Won a chip with Cleveland. He’ll do everything he can to keep AD.
He won a chip with Cleveland? Saying he “won” it sort of implies that he earned it.
Name me one deal he made that really made that team better? As I see it, LeBron returned to Cleveland and handed him that ring on a silver platter.
He did trade for Love, Shumpert, JR, and Frye.
“won a chip WITH Cleveland” Implies he was part of the process. Name one deal? I got you with a few; Traded Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love. ( In hindsight he completely robbed Minnesota)
Traded for Iman Shumpert and J.R Smith (Smith was huge for them on their run)
Fired Mike Brown and hired Blatt and Ty Lue (then fired Blatt but Lue kept the team together and afloat, also made good in game adjustments)
Lebron “only” has three rings, so no, he didn’t serve anything up on a platter. The whole organization earned it. Dan Gilbert paid a huge tax during Bron’s time in Cleveland.
I think Gilbert forced the Love trade. Actually Love was already forcing his way out of Minnesota and James had a deal with Gilbert to get him as part of his own FA move. Griffin was a bit of an unhappy bystander! But he could handle people (Irving), and is counting on that now with ADavis.
Looking at link to basketball-reference.com you make a good point. Nothing looks brilliant and Griffin did not draft strongly. But the trend now is to hire for that.
Griffin gets most of his credit in Cleveland for a couple of complicated midseason trades in 2015 that precisely handled stress-points and acquired key players for the 2016 title (Mozgov, JR, Shumpert). I recall the feelings of relief on online forums after the deals. “They” came through with what “we” needed to break through. Mostly I think, Mozgov was key to a strong defense, and Smith was hero-ball insurance if James wore down from doing everything.
The 2018 midseason trades were similar (for the Cavs; Griffin was gone) in that they were NOT good long-term trades, but instead fit the demand for short-term relief, setting up a finals run, and maximizing the Lebron window.
It’s not NBA 2k. How do you know that Griffin wants him back? He said so? He’d be an idiot to say otherwise. I don’t think he’s even entertained the thought that AD might really want to come back on a committed long term basis, which is the only thing that can stop a trade by the deadline. I think he’s focused on reality. He wants wants AD to back off his trade demand, publicly anyway, and Paul might give him something on that front, or Griffin wouldn’t be talking to the media about a meeting, he’d just have it. But if so, it’s a mutually understood short term proposition.
Everything Griffin has stated has indicated he wants to keep AD. AD also being once in a generation player also implies that they’d obviously want to keep him. Griffin is going to do his due diligence and check every avenue, but keeping AD is hit priority #1. Likely? Probably not, but he’s still going to try.
Yes I think he is acting sincerely, doing what he was hired for, and the media mentions are due to presuming that AD reads them. Make him think.
But the backup plan of trading him for a quantity of young players is maybe best for everyone. Depends on the players…
Is not about if Pels, owner, fans, players want AD back, who cares anyway… the issue is why on earth would AD want back!!! He just wouldn’t! They treated him awfully bad! If he comes back, he want be my favorite player any more that’s for sure.
Most people blame the Pels for being a dumpster fire not AD, he gave them every opportunity not to suck.
Davis for Simmons?
Anthony Davis is no fool he knows the pelicans are going nowhere. When has a team that had the number one overall pick onea championship with in the next three or four years? The answer? Never! I know that, most fans know that and more importantly Anthony Davis knows that.
Spurs 1999.
Bucks in 71 (Alcindor’s sophomore year), Lakers in 80 (twelve months after picking Magic). Talking generational players, we dont know if Zion is/will be
Cazzie Russell (1966) – 4th season
Bill Walton – (1974) – 3rd season
Tim Duncan (1997) – 2nd season
Worthy as well – 3rd season.
Wiggins and Bennett too, I guess.
Amazing how many teams picked #1 and then won a championship in such a short period of time, when you consider that for most of NBA history, the team drafting #1 was in last place in one of the two conferences.
How many 1st overall picks have forced a trade why still under contract, and won within 3 or 4 years-? Only Kareem.
Pelicans would make a giant leap next season if suiting up Zion and Anthony Davis. Zion is going to be very hard for teams to contain. Put shooters around those two and they are positively going to light it up.
But it’s not going to happen.
Griffin is already playing head games in the media when he challenges Davis to live up to his statement that he wants to win. But Griffin knows he faces difficult odds so he’ll do what he can.
Davis is from Chicago and it sounds to me like he wants to play in one of the big cities.
Kareem made the same call once in Milwaukee.
The promise of teaming up with Zion might not be enough.
Meeting taking place at Jeanies house?