Anthony Davis' rough 2016 NBA season received one last Draymond Green-like kick to the middle parts on Thursday when the All-NBA Teams were announced and the New Orleans Pelicans star's name was not among the fifteen names for the first, second, and third teams. As such, Davis does not meet the requirements of his "Rose Rule" clause in his contract, and will not be awarded the estimated $24.8 million bonus allowed as the maximum value for the contract he signed last summer.
Twenty-four point eight million dollars.
The Rose Rule stipulates that a player coming off his rookie contract is eligible for a higher raise structure if he accomplishes two of the following: wins MVP, is selected as an All-Star starer, or is selected for All-NBA. Davis was not selected as an All-Star starter after an injury-plagued and disappointing season with the Pelicans, and was a toss-up for All-NBA. The Pistons' Andre Drummond did make the team, and as such, Davis was left out, and does not earn that extra $24.8 million.
Once again, twenty-four point eight million dollars.
Davis still winds up with a five-year, $120 million contract, so I think he'll be able to get by somehow, even if he has to cry himself to sleep a few nights on his Tempur-Pedic bed crafted out of $20 bills with pillows stuffed with pegasus feathers, but still, that's a tough one to swallow. Not only the money, but the fact that you weren't good enough to reach that level you could have. It largely wasn't Davis' fault, he was still terrific, but injuries cost the Pelicans in huge ways and the team just flat-out underperformed in their first season under Alvin Gentry.
It's a heartbreaking turn, there's a lot of people Davis could help with that $24.8 million, or he could buy more pegasi to make pillows from. But maybe this will only inspire Davis to return with more ferocity and take his frustrations out on the league next year.
