Despite the flurry of activity at the NBA trade deadline, Anthony Davis is going to remain a Pelican -- at least until the summer. After reportedly being locked in a stalemate with the Lakers, the Pelicans will now open their search to any team that will put together a package, including the Celtics who can put a deal on the table this summer.

Next is the rather awkward situation of: What to do with Davis? Davis has been held out of the last two games by the Pelicans, despite reportedly wanting to play on Monday against the Pacers. 

Well, now that the deadline has passed, Davis will not have to wait long to take the floor again as Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com is reporting that the Pelicans plan to honor the All-Star's request and allow him to return to the lineup for the rest of the 2018-19 campaign.

Shortly after Wojnarowski's report, Pelicans GM Dell Demps released an official statement on the matter confirming that Davis would, indeed, continue to play for the team throughout the rest of this season:

"Anthony Davis will play the remainder of the 2018-19 season for the New Orleans Pelicans. A number of factors contributed to this decision. 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. We believe Anthony playing upholds the values that are in the best interest of the NBA and its fans. We look forward to seeing Anthony in a Pelicans uniform again soon."  

While that may not be ideal for the Pelicans, who appear to be interested in rebuilding and preparing for life post-Davis, they likely won't have a choice. The NBA isn't afraid to tell teams to play their stars -- see the Bulls and Grizzlies last season with some of their efforts to tank.

Davis will now be without fellow forward Nikola Mirotic, who was traded to the Bucks prior to the trade deadline. He'll be surrounded by some new faces upon his return after missing the past nine games. The Pelicans are 24-31 on the year, 4.5 games out of the No. 8 seed in the West, but their message this deadline is clear. They're thinking about the future. They got four second-round picks from the Bucks in the Mirotic deal, indicating that they're looking to stock-pile some assets.

The Pelicans are 20-21 with Davis in the lineup and 4-10 without him. This year, Davis is averaging career-highs in points per game (29.3), rebounds per game (13.3) and assists per game (4.4).