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Anthony Davis is a superstar on a bad team, so there’s going to be a lot of talk about him leaving the Pelicans. Davis signed a new massive deal 20 months ago, but almost all players sign that extension off their rookie deals and for many, that just means he’ll ask for a trade. 

However, Davis specifically told reporters this week at a pre-All-Star event that he has no intentions of bailing on the Big Easy. 

“I don’t plan on leaving, so make sure you write that down,” Davis said when asked about trade speculation. 

Another questioner asked Davis about an Internet rumor speculating that he and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook could eventually join forces with the Lakers in Los Angeles, where his agent, Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group is based. 

“I don’t pay attention to (the rumors),” Davis said. “I don’t know who said it or how it came about. I’m with the Pelicans right now.”

Source: Anthony Davis professes loyalty to Pelicans: ‘I don’t plan on leaving’ New Orleans | NOLA.com. 

It’s a stronger quote than it seems like in print. The “I don’t plan on” indicates that plan could change, and that’s certainly true. Kevin Durant probably felt the same way in the year after he signed his extension, and his team was actually good. But Davis seems intent on signaling that he doesn’t want to leave, and that matters. 

But there are still outs here. And another few seasons of losing could change that. Davis can afford to give the Pelicans a few years to get it together, especially for how much money he’s making. But eventually, he’s going to want to make the playoffs again. It doesn’t look likely this season. The roster doesn’t have much young talent and has some tough free agency decisions coming up. There may be more changes this summer with the front office if they don’t turn things around. 

For now, however, you might want to take Davis out of your dream trade scenarios.