Anthony Davis has been fined $50,000 by the NBA for violating the league’s collective bargaining agreement by publicly demanding a trade from the Pelicans. The NBA announced the penalty in a statement Tuesday, a day after Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, announced to the media that he had informed New Orleans of his client’s desire to be traded.
“The fine is for statements that were made by Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, in an intentional effort to undermine the contractual relationship between Davis and the Pelicans,” the league said.
Davis, a five-time All-Star who’s set to hit free agency in 2020, set the basketball world astir Monday when his camp revealed it had told the Pelicans over the weekend that he wouldn’t sign a contract extension and preferred to be dealt. The public announcement came just 10 days before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 7, and seemingly put an end to the possibility that Davis might sign the five-year, $240 million supermax extension the Pelicans are eligible to offer him.
The Lakers, Knicks and Celtics are expected to be among the prime suitors for Davis’ services. According to a report, his No. 1 preference is to team up with LeBron James in Los Angeles.
