Pelicans will not shut down Anthony Davis for rest of season
The New Orleans Pelicans will not shut down star forward Anthony Davis for the rest of the season, the team announced after Thursday’s trade deadline.
“A number of factors contributed to this decision,” New Orleans general manager Dell Demps said in a statement. “Ultimately, Anthony made it clear to us that he wants to play and he gives our team the best opportunity to win games. Moreover, the Pelicans want to preserve the integrity of the game and align our organization with NBA policies.”
There was consideration to hold Davis out for the rest of the season after the team declined to trade him, which was what Davis requested through his agent, Rich Paul. The team still intends to hold trade discussions this summer, and there is concern that a serious injury would hurt Davis’ value.
Davis has missed the last nine games as he recovered from a finger injury. He was cleared to play Wednesday, when the Pelicans won at Chicago, but the team held him out because of the trade deadline.
In 41 games this season, Davis is averaging career highs of 29.3 points, 13.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists.
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