With star forward Anthony Davis eligible for a contract extension this summer, Marc Stein is reporting that the Pelicans could offer him a five-year deal, that approaches $140 million.
The exact figures will depend on how much the NBA salary cap actually rises, but sources told ESPN.com that the Pelicans indeed intend to present Davis with the biggest offer they can once the window for negotiations opens July 1.
The Pelicans would then have until Oct. 31 to convince Davis to sign a five-year deal that makes him their designated player.
Davis, 22, just joined 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 NBA playoff games.
Because Davis was elected to start in February’s All-Star Game, and is likely to earn All-NBA first-team honors when voting results are announced in the coming days, New Orleans can start his max deal at 30 percent of the league’s salary cap as opposed to a mere 25 percent.
