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Gentry says he knew AD would ask for trade after signing with Rich Paul

Allen Berezovsky / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty

New Orleans Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry is still apparently unhappy over the circumstances of Anthony Davis' departure. However, he says he knew Davis was on his way out of the Crescent City when the superstar signed with agent Rich Paul's Klutch Sports last fall.

"I'm a realist," Gentry told ESPN's Jackie MacMullan. "When Anthony signed with Klutch Sports, I knew what was going to happen. They told me, 'No, we're not trying to get him traded,' but we all realized it was just a matter of time."

Davis joined Klutch last September. He publicly requested a trade in January and was subsequently dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in June.

"I understand that some players feel the need to move on," Gentry added. "With Anthony, it could have and should have been handled differently. If it was, I would have been OK with the situation."

Gentry said in April that Davis' trade demand created a toxic environment for both the Pelicans and the Lakers, his preferred destination from the start. Furthermore, the veteran coach told MacMullan that the player empowerment movement that saw Davis and Paul George force their way off small-market teams this summer isn't good for the NBA.

"I hear players say, 'Why is it different from a team trading us?' Because this isn't football, where they can say, 'If you're not playing well, we're gonna cut you and you won't get paid.' We pay our players and it's guaranteed," he said. "(Contracts) don't really mean anything anymore, so make them all two-year deals. It will save us a lot of headaches."

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