David Griffin, the president of basketball operations in New Orleans, says he is “very optimistic” about his upcoming chat with Anthony Davis and his reps this summer.
Griffin says the Pelicans, who won the NBA Draft Lottery, “have a compelling situation” for AD to consider going forward.
Davis, 26, is under contract for one more season and requested a trade in late January.
Per The AP:
“We’ll definitely visit. And I think that’s the next step — really to look each other in the eye and talk about what’s important to us,” Griffin said Tuesday during a conference call with the newly hired [general manager Trajan] Langdon and reporters. “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.”
Griffin said he hopes to meet with Davis in Los Angeles, where Davis has an offseason home, around the time player agents are hosting workouts in southern California for clients that are eligible for the NBA’s June 20 draft.
“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,” Griffin said.
Griffin also described any reports that the consensus top player in next month’s NBA draft, Duke star Zion Williamson, does not want to play in New Orleans as a “false narrative.”
“We’ve sat with multiple players that we’re looking at for that first pick,” Griffin said, adding that he and Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry met with Williamson and his parents the night the Pelicans won the NBA’s draft lottery. Griffin said they also met with Murray State’s Ja Morant — another coveted prospect whom the Pelicans could try to pair with Williamson by trading Davis for another high draft choice. We know unequivocally that either one of them would be thrilled to join us in New Orleans,” Griffin said.
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