New Orleans Pelicans: The Art Of Running It Back

The 2011 CBA was the start of a new age in the NBA. The owners had come out seemingly “victorious” by taking a greater percentage of BRI (basketball related income) from the players, and shorter contracts were instituted to both save executives from themselves, as well as to create more player movement within the league.

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Last season’s trade deadline and this summer’s free agency bonanza has given the league more of a “fantasy” type of feel, which, in essence, has generated an unquestioned interest socially and given fans the opportunity to relate on a microscopic level. It has been a very welcomed change to see people arguing about the salary cap and what exceptions exist within the CBA rather than the classic, but way overly done argument that asks the question: Who is better? Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or LeBron James?

Boy, would I like all of the time back that I have spent climbing down that sorry rabbit hole.

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With all of this newfound player movement, each summer has become as popular, if not more popular, among the NBA community than the actual season itself. Fans and obsessed 2k players alike want their chance to play GM, and submerging themselves within this world of cap space, trades and trade exceptions is their best chance of doing just that.

I bring up the CBA and player movement because it has become increasingly difficult for teams to keep continuity on their respective rosters in this new world. The San Antonio Spurs are the epitome of what keeping a core group of players can result in and the Golden State Warriors are attempting to follow in their footsteps. It isn’t the end-all, be-all for winning a championship (Cleveland was two wins away from winning a title), but it is a good common denominator for crowning a champion.

Entering the summer, I implored the New Orleans Pelicans to perhaps break up some of their core and chase after a lottery pick in the draft. The ability to swap out a hefty contract for a young, controllable asset is a tough thing to neglect. Instead, Dell Demps resisted the temptation has elected to retain the entire roster and run things back heading into next season.

Eric Gordon opted into the final year of his deal. Omer Asik was (initially controversially) given a five-year/$60 million (with the final year non-guaranteed, making it a potentially great contract to trade) deal. Alexis Ajinca will be brought back on a not-so-terrible four-year, $20 million contract that essentially took New Orleans out of the running to make an offer for free agent center Brandan Wright with their Mid-Level Exception. (You can also kiss goodbye the pipe dream of stealing Darrell Arthur with the Ajinca signing.) Ryan Anderson hasn’t been floating around in any trade rumors. Dante Cunningham agreed to a three-year, $9 million deal.

As of this writing, the only free agent of note that is still out on the market is Norris Cole, whom the Pelicans are looking to retain. Cole is a restricted free agent, so any offer sheet that he signs, the Pelicans have the opportunity to match. A week ago, I would have guessed that Cole wouldn’t command more than $4 million, MAYBE $5 million on the open market. However, after witnessing Cory Joseph get a four-year, $30 million deal, Demps has to be a bit worried.

As currently constructed, the Pellies are sitting with a payroll that is a hair above $69 million, per Basketballinsiders.com. They have minimal MLE room, no cap room and will approach the projected luxury tax line of $81.6 million if they choose to retain the services of Cole. Cole is the only player they can go over the cap to sign, leaving the rest of the free agent field useless to New Orleans.

By going the route that he did, Demps is betting big on roster continuity and that his new coach, Alvin Gentry, will be able to generate more wins from this collection of talent than Monty Williams. You have to respect the man for not giving into the temptation of tweaking with the roster (I know I certainly would have) and just letting the players develop organically. The Pelicans project to ascend in the Western Conference standings next year based on the ever-evolving excellence of Anthony Davis alone. The rest of the roster should follow suit.

And if not, there is always room for a trade or three.

Also, just because the roster is “set” now does not mean that Demps will not still seek out trade options before the season or during the regular season. At the beginning of last season, Jimmer Fredette an Austin Rivers were playing meaningful minutes off of the bench and Quincy Pondexter was making minimal impact on the Memphis Grizzlies. An NBA roster isn’t set in July.

But all of that trade talk is just speculation. Both Gentry and Demps appear to be fixated on running it back next season. And you know what? Maybe that is for the best.

All deals that were referenced were reported and will not actually completed until Jul. 9.

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