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New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis’ Extension Was Perfect Move

By Mike Pendleton

Apr 23, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) reacts against the Golden State Warriors during the third quarter in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 23, 2015; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) reacts against the Golden State Warriors during the third quarter in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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As the clock struck midnight on July 1 and NBA free agency started, the New Orleans Pelicans made the best move for their franchise since Chris Paul was with the team. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that the Pelicans agreed to a five-year, $145 million contract extension with All-Star forward Anthony Davis which begins in the 2016-17 season.

Locking up Davis, who is just 22 years old, is about as perfect of a move that the Pelicans could make this offseason. The deal will become the league’s richest when it goes into the effect at the start of the 2016-17 season, when the salary cap is set to rise throughout the league.

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There’s not many ways you can argue the extension for Davis, who will be 28 when his new deal is set to expire, meaning he could still strike another huge deal if he continues his pace of play.

In the 2014-15 season, Davis joined elite company with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bob McAdoo as the only players in league history to average at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in their first four career playoff games.

For those who are intrigued by stats, Davis also led the NBA in blocks (2.8) and his Player Efficiency Rating (30.8) ranked 11th all-time for a single-season. Simply put, when Anthony Davis was on the court, he was the reason they were winning.

New Orleans picked up 45 wins, including one on the final day of the regular season led the Pelicans to get the eighth seed in the Western Conference and the franchise’s first playoff appearance since 2011.

Having Davis in the fold for years to come under the Pelicans franchise is just another step in the making of Anthony Davis, superstar. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are the league’s top stars, but moving forward, Davis has all the makings as a guy who can be the face of the NBA within the next three years.

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    • With new head coach Alvin Gentry in the mix, the Pelicans have made it clear they are going to grow and develop around Davis. Gentry will need to build an offense around the $145 million man, which also means he’ll have to get pieces around Davis to help make the team go from playoff pretender to championship contender.

    Some of the players currently on the Pelicans roster don’t leave much room for optimism of a championship. Jrue Holiday and Eric Gordon have lengthy injury histories and Tyreke Evans is still looking to find the right spot for him on the team.

    With a big financial investment loaded into Anthony Davis, it would be wise for the team to sit down with their star and map out a future plan for 2015 and beyond which includes a playing style and players Davis would like to play with.

    That may be the most important factor in the entire contract signed by Davis and the Pelicans. They have the future star of the NBA on their team for years to come and he’s young. His stay in New Orleans will bring a market value to the entire league, there will be branding around the organization and city that hasn’t been there since Chris Paul left.

    Even more so, if Davis continues to thrive on the court, it’s easy to believe there will be plenty of other players who would like to play alongside “The Brow.”

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