New Orleans Pelicans: 5 moments in team history that deserve a documentary
By Eliot Clough
1B. Anthony Davis Departure
Compared to the Paul situation, Davis’ decision to leave the Big Easy was a little less civil. For many fans in New Orleans, it still stings.
Unlike Paul, Davis showed little-to-no remorse for leaving the city of New Orleans and the Pelicans. He was ready to go, and go quickly. Demps wasn’t too enamored with the idea of making that happen.
Davis’ request to be shipped out of town came amid what was already a bad season for the Pelicans and (shocker) another injury that had left him sidelined. Whether riding the bench was genuinely due to the left index finger sprain he incurred in January, Davis barely touched the floor for the Pels between the first and second months of 2019.
Not only did Davis get hurt and request a trade, he made himself look like an ass.
Jrue Holiday signed a long term deal with the expectation that Davis had the same desire to stay for an extended period of time. AD had his agent make the request in a public setting — requiring the NBA to fine him $50,000. Davis turned his back on the city that took him No. 1 overall just seven years prior and had just made the case that they wanted to keep him around — signing Holiday and going out to get Boogie Cousins. The future was all about Davis.
Speaking of asses, Demps saw Davis’ request to be traded and more-or-less threw it to the wayside — much to the chagrin of Pels and Lakers fans at the time. Not only did Los Angeles and Magic Johnson field a monster haul (Ingram, Hart, Ball, Kyle Kuzma and draft picks) for Davis, Demps made the deal public when there was no incentive to, other than causing a disturbance in the Lakers’ locker room.
The whole thing could only be described as a complete and total cluster.
With the trade deadline coming to pass and no deal getting done, Davis dealt with a minutes restriction and no love from home fans for the remainder of the season. The Pels finished 33-49 and missed the playoffs for the fifth time in Davis’ seven years.
Following the completion of the season, Demps being fired and David Griffin being brought into the team’s front office, Davis was finally shipped out of town in exchange for essentially the same group of players and picks as previously offered — minus Kuzma.
Good riddance.