Anthony Davis may not suit up for the New Orleans Pelicans again.
But that doesn't mean he's about to be traded.
According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, Davis -- who recently said he would not resign with the Pelicans, forcing them to consider dealing him -- may sit for the remainder of the season if he isn't flipped before the February 7th trade deadline.
The health-challenged power forward is currently sidelined with a finger injury, but would likely return in the next week or so. However, with the playoffs out of reach, New Orleans might be better off just protecting their prized asset by sitting him on the bench until he finds a new home.
Davis hasn't made a trade easy on the Pelican, depressing his value by letting it be known he would only resign with the Los Angeles Lakers when his contract expires in 2020.
The Celtics, one of the other teams Davis has been tied to and have the assets to acquire him, can't trade for Davis this season as long as Kyrie Irving is on their roster, due to salary cap rules. But the Cs could deal for him come June.
Where do you think Davis ends up and when do you think he gets there?
If no trade materializes between now and the Feb. 7 buzzer, with the playoffs essentially out of reach, New Orleans has much more incentive to keep Anthony Davis shelved in the name of protecting its prized trade asset rather than playing him. As does Davis himself ...
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 31, 2019