Anthony Davis knows full well that LeBron James is indirectly pitching for him to join the Lakers.
But he also knows that distractions are the enemy of productivity, which is why the Pelicans star is trying to block out all the noise.
“I don’t really care,” Davis told ESPN. “Obviously, it’s cool to hear any high-caliber player say they want to play with me.
“But my job is to turn this team around. If we’re 15-17, that means I’m not doing my job.”
Davis won’t become a free agent until the summer of 2020.
But the Pelicans can offer him a five-year, $239 million supermax extension this offseason, and if Davis turns it down, New Orleans will know the writing is on the wall and could trigger trade talks immediately.
It’s easy to wonder whether AD is craving greener pastures, especially considering the Pelicans’ inability to surround him with enough talent to make a deep postseason run.
Right now, however, Davis insists he wants to make it work in New Orleans.
“I love my teammates,” Davis said. “I love New Orleans. I love the fans. I talk their slang. I love their food.”
Those comments are nice, but they’ll hardly deter the Lakers and Celtics from declaring a holy bidding war for his services when the time comes.
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