New Orleans Pelicans: Why it was wise not to extend Josh Hart/Lonzo Ball

The New Orleans Pelicans were wise not to extend Josh Hart or Lonzo Ball.

The New Orleans Pelicans failed to agree to rookie extensions with Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart yesterday, the final day to do so.

As a flurry of signings were announced via Twitter, Pels’ fans panicked that guys like Luke Kennard were getting locked into long term deals while New Orleans allowed Hart and Ball to enter their contract seasons.

Kennard may be the perfect example of why the Pels are being smart here. He is a guy who has done nothing in the league, who played all of 28 games last season, has knee concerns and just got $16 million a year before his team saw him play a regular-season game.

Huh?

In my opinion, the Clippers would have been wise to make Kennard play out the season to prove he can, you know, actually finish one, which is why I was not upset when the Pelicans didn’t extend Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball the first chance they got.

In the case of Lonzo Ball, it is not surprising that he chose to wait to sign an extension. He can make more money next offseason and should be able to increase his value by waiting.

Hart is a little more perplexing, though it seems there was some distance between what he wanted and what the Pelicans were willing to offer.

Either way, it is better for everyone involved to wait. Here’s why.

New Orleans Pelicans: Not re-signing Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball was a smart move.

The Pels probably could have locked up both Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart yesterday had they really wanted to. If the Pels had offered Hart the contract Kennard got, he’d probably be re-signed.

If the Pels had put a $100 million max contract on the table for Lonzo Ball, he too would likely be locked up, but there was really no movivation to do it for a few reasons.

The first is that the Pels want to make sure these are the guys. They’ve made it clear that Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are the cornerstones of this team and they have to be smart about who they surround them with.

If Lonzo proves he is the third piece, the Pels will be happy to offer him that contract. If not, they can trade him at the deadline and get a nice return. If it works out, great, if it doesn’t work out, the Pels aren’t stuck paying a mediocre point guard $20 million a year.

Lonzo will only be a restricted free agent, so unless he wants to leave a ton of money on the table, re-signing with the Pelicans is his best move.

The same is true of Josh Hart. He’s been a great bench/glue player who does a little of everything and is an important part of the team. But is he worth $16 million a year?

Considering he is shooting guard who doesn’t shoot that well and isn’t really big enough to defend big wings, are we sure he’s the right move? Josh Hart is a value contract now, but he might not be at that price, why not make him prove it?

The New Orleans Pelicans will still be in the driver’s seat to re-sign Josh Hart and Lonzo Ball, but at the end of the season, they’ll have a much better idea of their value.

It was a smart move for everyone involved.