Report: Pels considering chance AD has played last game for them

The New Orleans Pelicans are considering the possibility that Anthony Davis has played his last game for the team, regardless of whether he's dealt before the Feb. 7 NBA trade deadline, a source told the New York Times' Marc Stein.

The five-time All-Star is currently sidelined with a fractured finger on his non-shooting hand and hasn't played since Jan. 18.

The Pelicans could choose to shelve Davis if a trade doesn't materialize before next Thursday in order to protect their asset ahead of the summer trade market. New Orleans is currently 5.5 games out of a playoff spot.

The Phoenix Suns employed a similar tactic at the beginning of the 2017-18 season after Eric Bledsoe asked for a trade. He was then dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks after being inactive for eight games.

The Pelicans stated on Monday that any deal involving Davis would occur on their own timeline. A report Wednesday suggested that Pels GM Dell Demps was not answering calls about the power forward.

Prior to Wednesday night's loss to the Denver Nuggets, however, head coach Alvin Gentry said it was "a hard thing to answer" whether Davis had played his last game for New Orleans.

Davis was then completely removed from the Pelicans' introduction video despite being in attendance on the sideline.