Halo

Anthony Davis has reaffirmed his commitment to the New Orleans Pelicans, despite the team being outside the playoff picture for the fourth time in five seasons since drafting the four-time All-Star.

In an interview with ESPN Radio scheduled to air on Saturday, Davis said he has given no thought to leaving the Pelicans.

"Look, I'm here," Davis said, per ESPN's Marc Stein. "If I was thinking about leaving, I'd never re-sign [in July 2015]. I'm here to stay."

Davis' comments about remaining in New Orleans echo what he told reporters during a conference call on Tuesday.

"I don't plan on leaving, so make sure you write that down," he told the media (h/t Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune). "I don't pay attention to (the rumors). I don't know who said it or how it came about. I'm with the Pelicans right now."

The rumor Davis mentioned stems from an article by B/R's Brian Boyles about a possible future pairing between Davis and Russell Westbrook in Los Angeles.


"Thad Foucher of the Wasserman Media Group, the same agency that represents Russell Westbrook, is Davis' agent," Boyles wrote. "A source close to Davis' agent floated the possibility that the end game could find the two uniting in Los Angeles with the talent-starved Lakers."

Instead of focusing on the rumor, Davis said on Thursday he's working to convince Jrue Holiday to stay with the Pelicans as he prepares to hit free agency this summer.

"I talk to Jrue all the time," Davis said. "He'll make his own decisions, but of course we like him here. ... We need him to continue to play well and then, at the end of the season, hopefully he decides to re-sign with us."



The NBA has become a league where it's fashionable for marquee stars to join forces with the goal of winning a championship. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh jumpstarted this practice by teaming up with the Miami Heat in 2010.

Westbrook saw Kevin Durant leave the Oklahoma City Thunder after last season to join the Golden State Warriors, who were coming off a two-year run in which they captured an NBA title in 2015 and won an NBA-record 73 games last season.

Davis is under contract with the Pelicans through 2021 after signing a five-year extension in July 2015. He's having another outstanding season, averaging 27.7 points and 12 rebounds per game. He also ranks seventh in ESPN's player efficiency rating (27.3).

Unless things get so dire for the franchise that it feels the only option is to trade him, Davis doesn't seem likely to go anywhere.

Based on how top-heavy the NBA has become with teams like the Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers dominating their respective conferences, it's better for the league to have its major stars spread out to try bringing about more parity.

It's just too bad that Davis' stellar years so far have been wasted with a Pelicans team that can't seem to win consistently.

Read more New Orleans Pelicans news on BleacherReport.com



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