ESPN Report: Pelicans will offer Anthony Davis maximum contract July 1st

In a report that we can assume belong right next to "the sun will rise tomorrow," Marc Stein states that the New Orleans Pelicans will offer Anthony Davis a maximum contract offer on July 1st. This should not come as a surprise to anyone who has visited our site in the last year.

Just as the Cleveland Cavaliers offered Kyrie Irving the same deal last summer, this is a no brainer. Irving agreed to the extension early on July 1st last year; it was reported by Adrian Wojnarowski at 2:23 AM.

More details, more precise than my crude estimates, came forth later in the afternoon from Larry Coon. Coon writes the CBA FAQ, our go-to source whenever there is a question about contracts, the salary cap, and other financial minutae around the NBA.

Remember that these numbers are still just estimates, based on an $89 Million salary cap for the 2016-17 season. That estimate is directly from the NBA but can change. The exact figures will not be known until after the salary cap for 2016-17 is established; July 11, 2016 after the moratorium is lifted. Each year the 10 day moratorium is when the NBA audits their finances to create the new salary cap number, among a myriad of other things.

A five-year deal starting at $24.97M with 7.5% raises is: 1) $24.97, 2) $26.84275, 3) $28.7155, 4) $30.58825, 5) $32.461 @NBACapAnalyst

— Larry Coon (@LarryCoon) April 26, 2015

Total is $143,577,500 over five years. @NBACapAnalyst

— Larry Coon (@LarryCoon) April 26, 2015

I wrote this two months ago and it continues to be true. It is good to be Anthony Davis.

If the Pelicans offer Davis the full amount (which I have every reason to expect they will) the top end of this contract will be over $140 Million for five years. The richest contract in the NBA this summer will be his with a the stroke of a pen.