A generational talent requests a trade. A small market team is painted into a corner. A long road to recovery begins.
If that scenario isn’t frightening enough for the New Orleans Pelicans and their fans in the wake of Anthony Davis requesting a trade, there is also this: the Orlando Magic were in a similar position seven years ago and still have not come close to recovering.
True, there are differences between the Davis situation and the 2012 Dwight Howard saga in Orlando that became known as the “Dwightmare.” And yes, in the years since the Magic traded Howard to the Lakers that summer, the Orlando front office has made ensuing decisions that crippled the organization more than Howard’s departure did.