Offseason Salary Cap Digest: New Orleans Pelicans

The Pelicans’ 2015/16 season was derailed by injuries, to the point that the team finished the season carrying 18 players on its roster due to multiple hardship exemptions granted by the NBA. Many of those injured players were among the club’s highest-paid veterans, but with at least one big contract (Eric Gordon) coming off the books, and a couple more (Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans) entering their final year, New Orleans should gain a little flexibility this offseason.

There’s still plenty of guaranteed salary on the Pelicans’ books for 2016/17, even before taking into account unrestricted free agents like Gordon and Ryan Anderson, but those salary commitments don’t look quite as restrictive with the cap on the rise. The team also caught a break when Anthony Davis failed to make an All-NBA team, limiting his maximum salaries over the next few years. With Davis locked up through 2021, the Pelicans can afford to exercise a little patience in building their roster around him, rather than rushing to add veteran help in hopes of convincing him to stay in New Orleans.

See how New Orleans’ cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.

Guaranteed Salary

• Anthony Davis ($21,597,000)¹
• Jrue Holiday ($11,286,518)
• Tyreke Evans ($10,203,755)
• Omer Asik ($9,904,494)
• Alexis Ajinca ($4,638,203)
• Quincy Pondexter ($3,617,978)
• Dante Cunningham ($2,978,250)
• Luke Babbitt ($200,000) — Partial guarantee; non-guaranteed portion listed below²
• Total: $64,426,198
  

Player Options

• Alonzo Gee ($1,379,400)

Team Options

• None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

• Toney Douglas ($1,315,448)
• Luke Babbitt ($1,027,286) — Partial guarantee; guaranteed portion listed above²
• Bryce Dejean-Jones ($874,636)³
• Total: $3,217,370
  

Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)

• James Ennis ($1,180,431/$1,180,431)
• Tim Frazier ($1,180,431/$1,180,431)
• Totals: ($2,360,862/$2,360,862)

Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)

• Eric Gordon ($23,271,047)
• Ryan Anderson ($12,750,000)
• Norris Cole ($5,770,163)
• Jordan Hamilton ($980,431)
• Kendrick Perkins ($980,431)
• Total: $43,752,072
  

Other Cap Holds

• No. 6 pick ($2,931,000)

Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000

Footnotes:

1. Davis’ exact salary on his max contract won’t be determined until July. This figure represents an estimation.
2. Babbitt’s full $1,227,286 salary would become guaranteed on July 12th.
3. Dejean-Jones died in May, but his contract will remain on the Pelicans’ books until the team makes a roster move.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.