Anthony Davis And Pelicans Agree To Massive Contract Extension

Photo © Stacy Revere/Getty Images.

Yesterday, there were a few reports claiming that Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans already agreed to a massive five-year extension. And at midnight, when free agency officially opened, Davis confirmed these reports with a tweet.

Anthony Davis And Pelicans Agree To Massive Contract Extension

The Pelicans organization has not been shy about expressing their feelings about Davis, who has the potential to be the best player in the league. And the first step toward a better Pelicans was ensuring that Davis, unlike Chris Paul, was there to stay.

So as soon as free agency opened, the two sides agreed on the five-year extension, which will not even kick in until 2016-17. Now, this deal cannot officially be signed until July 9, but the most interesting part is how the exact figure is unknown.

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It is currently estimated at over $140 million, which would be a maximum contract, but could increase when the NBA’s new television deal is put into place following next season. On top of this, there is an opt out clause after Davis’ fourth year.

Davis, who just made the playoffs for the first time in his career, became only the fourth athlete — behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Bob McAdoo — to average 30 points and ten rebounds in his first four postseason games, according to ESPN. In his first three seasons, he averaged 19.7 PPG, 2.5 BPG and 9.5 RPG.

In the offseason, the Pelicans fired coach Monty Williams and brought in Alvin Gentry, who wants to install a faster offense with Davis as the centerpiece. “We’re going to play a lot faster and give [Davis] an opportunity to be in the open court,” Gentry stated. “He is our best player and a lot of things are going to be built around him. I think he’s a real versatile player.”