Anthony Davis is taking all the money he can get and staying in New Orleans for as long as the Pelicans can keep him.
The power forward accepted a five-year, $145 million contract extension at the 12:01 a.m. ET deadline that began free agency Wednesday. The Pelicans were allowed to negotiate the deal before July 1 because Davis already played for them. Yahoo Sports reports Davis dined with general manager Dell Demps and new head coach Alvin Gentry on Tuesday night in California to discuss the plan.
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NOLA, I am here to stay! Just getting started… #6MoreYears #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/Kni8WpikEA
— Anthony Davis (@AntDavis23) July 1, 2015But the choice was simple; Davis took the money and the security that came with it. Unlike 2015 free agents, Davis will get the full value of the 2016 TV money and salary cap increase because his maximum deal will fall in line with next offseason’s constraints. He could have waited until next year and even hit restricted free agency, but the Pelicans had no plans to allow him to walk away for nothing.
New Orleans went 45-37 last season but lost in a first-round sweep to the eventual champion Warriors. With Davis locked up for the next six seasons, Demps and Gentry should be able to stabilize the franchise with a clear-cut plan in place.
Davis will have to earn his money. The full value of the extension only gets paid out if Davis is named to another All-NBA team or voted as an All-Star starter for the second year in a row. The contract otherwise would be worth about five years and $120 million. The stricture is known as the Derrick Rose rule, as players are eligible for increased
