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Anthony Davis set for biggest contract in NBA history

AN NBA All Star is set to smash the absurd mega-contracts signed by James Harden and Steph Curry to set a filthy new record.

3 min read
May 25, 2018 - 4:37PM
That’s a lot of zeros.
That’s a lot of zeros.

NEW Orleans Pelicans giant Anthony Davis is set to be offered the richest contract in the history of the NBA.

The 25-year-old superstar was on Friday morning announced in the All-NBA first team alongside LeBron James, James Harden, Kevin Durant and Damien Lillard — allowing him to qualify for an NBA mega-contract.

Davis’ third selection in the All-NBA starting five ticks off the final box he needed to meet to satisfy the league’s designated player exception rules that dictate eligibility for a so-called “super-max” contract.

Having remained at the Pelicans since he was drafted, and having secured his second All-NBA first team honours (2017 and 2018) within a three-year period, Davis is now in line for a reported $230 million, five-year deal.

Fear the brow.
Fear the brow.

Davis is only eligible for the mega-deal with New Orleans and isn’t eligible for free agency until the end of the 2020-21 season.

The “super-max” contract system was designed to encourage players to remain at the teams that draft them and the Pelicans will be desperate to do all they can to retain Davis long term.

However, the situation has also created a massive headache for the surprise Western Conference semi-finalists with superstar tall DeMarcus Cousins also needing a new contract this off-season.

Davis’ record deal would see him replace James Harden and Steph Curry as the highest-paid player in the NBA.

Harden last year signed a record $228 million deal with the Rockets, which extended his contract through to the end of the 2023 playoffs.

Curry held the top spot before Harden, having signed his $201 million, five-year deal.

The Pelicans are expected to reward Davis’ impressive form — where he averaged 30.2 points, 11.9 boards, 3.2 blocks per game in the Pelicans’ final 33 games of 2018 — by giving him everything he wants.

The NBA’s best twin-towers.
The NBA’s best twin-towers.

Davis carried the New Orleans franchise into the second round of the playoffs after they swept Western Conference No. 3 seed Portland 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs before they came up against the stacked Golden State Warriors in the second round.

He did it all without twin tower Cousins.

Cousins missed the second half of the season with a torn achilles — but the All Star tall looms as one of the biggest players on the NBA open market.

Cousins is a free-agent this off-season, but Davis and Pelicans officials have previously declared they are confident of re-signing the four-time All Star.

The Pelicans said last month they plan to offer Cousins a max five-year deal when the silly season begins on July 1.

Meanwhile, LeBron James was named to his league-record 12th All-NBA First Team on Friday joining Houston Rockets guard Harden as a unanimous selection.

James, seeking an eighth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals in his 15th NBA campaign, moved past Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone for the most selections to the elite squad by a global media panel, being named on all 100 ballots.

Anthony Davis is going to get paid.
Anthony Davis is going to get paid.

The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player ranked third in the league with 27.5 points a game and also averaged 8.6 rebounds and a career-high 9.1 assists a game.

Harden, this season’s NBA scoring champion with 30.4 points a game, was a unanimous choice for the second year in a row. He also led the NBA with 265 3-point baskets and has sparked the Rockets into the Western Conference final.

Others on the All-NBA First Team included Golden State forward Kevin Durant, New Orleans centre Anthony Davis and Portland guard Damian Lillard, who was given his first nod onto the select squad.

Davis ranked second in the NBA with 28.1 points per contest and grabbed 11.1 rebounds a game, while Lillard was fourth with 26.9 points a game and four-time scoring champion Durant ranked sixth with 26.4 a game.

James, Harden and Davis are finalists for this year’s NBA Most Valuable Player award.

Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Cameroonian center Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers were named to the All-NBA Second Team along with San Antonio forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook and Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan, who edged Golden State’s Stephen Curry by one vote for the last spot on the second squad.

The All-NBA Third Team included Curry, Indiana guard Victor Oladipo, Minnesota’s Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns and Oklahoma City’s Paul George.

It was the first time on any of the post-season honour teams for Embiid, Oladipo and Towns.

Davis led the NBA in blocked shots with 2.57 a game.

James had a career-high 18 triple doubles and played in all 82 games for the first time in a season.

Harden record the first 60-point triple-double in NBA history and had 50-point performances this season.

— AFP

Originally published as Anthony Davis set for biggest contract in NBA history

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Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/sport/basketball/nba/anthony-davis-set-for-biggest-contract-in-nba-history/news-story/fbd3e096ce0a41beb4098de8e592b438