Anthony Davis’ season is over, the New Orleans Pelicans announced Sunday. That doesn’t he mean he won’t care what happens around the NBA the rest of the season.
During the offseason, the Pelicans agreed to a five-year contract extension with Davis. It kicks in next season for the greatest amount they can pay him.
This was assumed to be for roughly $145 million, depending on where the salary cap ends up. That figure, though, assumed Davis satisfied the criteria of the “Rose Rule.”
That rule states a player with zero to six years of experience (eligible for a maximum salary worth 25 percent of the cap), such as Davis, can earn the salary of a player with seven to nine years of experience (30 percent of the cap) by meeting any one of these criteria, per the CBA:
• The player is designated once as NBA MVP (this is not going to happen)
• The player is voted twice as an All-Star starter (this didn’t happen)
• The player is named twice to the All-NBA first, second or third team (this could still happen)
Davis was voted an All-Star starter and earned All-NBA honors for the first time last season, and it seemed likely he would reach at least one of those achievements this season.