Can the New Orleans Pelicans Afford to Keep Josh Hart?

New Orleans Pelicans: How Much is Josh Hart Worth?

Josh Hart is currently the 68th highest paid shooting guard in the NBA, which is ridiculous.

Most of the guys in this salary range barely get off the bench or are second round picks on a rookie deal.

Guys like Jordan Poole and Grayson Allen are making more than Hart, so the Pelicans have one of the best deals going.

If you look at the players who are nearest Hart in stats, you’ll find guys like Doug McDermott, Jae Crowder and OG Anunoby.

Anunoby might be the best comparison, as he is also on his first deal, a valuable member of the Raptors, and due for a big pay raise.

But how much is big?

If the New Orleans Pelicans could extend Josh Hart for 5 years (including next season) $40 million would that be enough to keep him around?

Hart may opt to negotiate with the Pelicans this summer and get himself some security, but the smart move would be to bet on himself improving and go into free agency the summer after, when the salary cap will presumably go back up and teams will have more to spend.

The flip side to that is the free agent class of 2020-21 is much better than this year, so there will be more competition for those dollars.

Crowder might be the best baseline for what Hart can expect, as he was close to the same age as Hart when he signed a 5 year/$35 million contract with the Celtics.

Of course, there could be a wild card team out there who thinks Josh Hart is a starter and will pay him like one. If someone offers Hart closer to $12 million a season, the Pelicans would probably have to walk away.

This is why Hart could become a valuable trade chip this summer, as his salary would be easy to move and his Bird Rights might be more valuable to a team with more cap space than the Pelicans are likely to have.

If the New Orleans Pelicans and Josh Hart can come to a mutually beneficial deal this summer, it would be in both their interests to do so, but if Hart bets on himself, and has another productive season, he might price himself out of the Pelicans’ range.