This team is making sexy eyes at the Luxury Tax down on the other end of the Bar. At some point the Pels are going to get the moxie to not only approach the Luxury Tax, but see if they can leave the club to engage in something short and fun or long and meaningful.
It's obvious the next CJ deal is going to be critical for the Pelicans balancing their books. Harden's next deal is informative not because CJ will get the Harden deal, but because it looks like Harden is leaving money on the table in order to help the 76ers extend a window to contend. My expectation is that CJ will do the same. The last year of CJ's current contract pays him $35m. The Heat signed Kyle Lowry to a three-year, $85 million contract which 12 months later feels like a really bad contract. Chris Paul signed a 4 year / $120,000,000 contract with the Phoenix Suns, including $75,000,000 guaranteed, and an annual average salary of $30,000,000. That contract, because it's not fully guaranteed and because of how Paul finished the season, feels like a much better deal.
The implications of CJ extension are huge. When it kicks in we'll be paying Zion's max. BI will be up for a super max extension. Herb will need a new contract as well. Trey, Kira, and Jose deals will be on the horizon. Making sure you don't overpay CJ is going to be critical to minimizing how far into the tax you have to go to keep this team together.
So what does the next CJ contract look like?
