It’s been four months since word broke that Anthony Davis didn’t intend on signing an extension with the Pelicans, preferring instead to be traded out of New Orleans. Much has changed for the franchise since.
Today, Shams Charania of The Athletic writes that Davis will meet with newly appointed Pelicans president of basketball operation David Griffin to discuss the impact those developments have had on Davis’ intentions heading forward and exactly where the two parties will go from here.
Just last week, Griffin spoke with the media via conference call (h/t Mike Triplett of ESPN), describing his vision for the forthcoming meeting.
“I think that’s the next step — really to look each other in the eye and talk about what’s important to us,” he said. “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.”
While Davis’ 2018-19 trade demand was covered endlessly in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, he was obviously never moved despite significant interest from throughout the league.
Since that deadline came and went, the organization has seen a complete turnover in its front office and landed the No. 1 pick in 2019 NBA Draft Lottery.
While it was reported at the time by Charania that the lottery win hadn’t changed Davis’ stance, there were no formal comments issue by Davis or his camp.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans franchise has been busy. In the front office, gone is previous general manager Dell Demps who held the post since 2010, replaced by Griffin, the widely respected former Cavaliers executive that constructed the 2016 NBA champions.
Change at the top of the team’s org. chart didn’t stop there. As Scott Kushner of The Advocate wrote earlier this week, franchise owner Gayle Benson has been hard at work, dutifully changing the team’s reputation.
Griffin will report to her directly whereas Demps had previously reported to Mickey Loomis, the two-hatter who also managed the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. Additionally, the team has fortified its staff with hires like Trajan Langdon and Aaron Nelson.
These changes may pale in comparison to the most obviously relevant one – they’ll have Zion Williamson on their roster less than a month from now – but while the final fate of ping pong balls is little more than a random act of good fortune, the organizational decisions that have been made could signify a genuine cultural shift.
There’s no indication of what exactly will be covered in the meeting between Griffin and Davis, let alone the outcome, but from the outside looking in, they’ll have plenty to ground to cover.
