Anthony Davis on His Preferred Destinations: 'All 29 Other Teams Are on my List'

It's been a messy situation for Anthony Davis ever since it was announced he'd be sticking with the Pelicans until the end of the season.

Anthony Davis
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Image via Getty/Jonathan Bachman

Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis requested a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans two weeks before the trade deadline, and it's been a messy situation for him ever since it was announced he'd be sticking with the team until the end of the season.

The team's owners fired Pelicans general manager Dell Demps after trade talks fell apart. When it was reported last month that Davis was turning down a five-year $240 million supermax contract with the Pelicans, a list of his preferred destinations started to circulate. Now he's confirmed that the list was "true," but not before backtracking in an interview later that day.

Among those teams on his original rumored list was the Los Angeles Lakers, who went on to have trade negotiations with the Pelicans before talks eventually fell apart. Speaking with Stefan Bondy of the Daily News, he said, "Whatever list that came out, that's between my agent and the Pelicans. It's true."

Anthony Davis seemed to backtrack a little bit by telling NBA TV his list includes 29 teams. But there is (or was) a narrower list that that. This is what he said a little while earlier:

"Whatever list that came out, that’s between my agent and the Pelicans. It’s true.”

— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) February 16, 2019

That list also included the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, and the New York Knicks. The Boston Celtics, however, were notably absent from that list.

Anthony Davis was asked about the perception the Celtics were not a preferred destination. He then repeated several times: “They were never not on my list.”

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 16, 2019

Speaking with NBA TV later on, however, Davis seemingly backtracked from those comments. "All 29 other teams are on my list," he explained when asked about the Boston Celtics. "I don't have a preferred destination, I just wanna win." That would mean the Boston Celtics is still on the table as an option, then.

"All 29 other teams are on my list."

Anthony Davis says he does not have a preferred destination#NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/fyCIxtLdYX

— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 16, 2019

He continued, "Big market, small market, it doesn't matter." Implying he's happy wherever he'll end up as long as it isn't the Pelicans, he stressed, "I never gave a destination." 

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