New Orleans Pelicans: What will Larry Nance Jr.’s next contract look like?

Larry Nance Jr. of the New Orleans Pelicans is heading into the final year of his contract which will pay him $9.6 million next season.

The Pelicans have some of the best value contracts in the NBA, including Nance Jr. who is a versatile player who can defend several positions and gives the Pels some additional toughness and veteran leadership.

I thought Nance Jr. was an underrated part of the CJ McCollum trade, as he gives head coach Willie Green a lot more options to go big or small depending on the matchups.

I am sure the New Orleans Pelicans would love to keep Nance Jr., but what will his next contract look like and will they be able to afford it?

New Orleans Pelicans: Larry Nance Jr’s contract

Larry Nance Jr. is still just 29-years-old, so if the Pelicans re-sign him, they will be getting the tail end of his prime.

But what is that going to look like? Even though he is still in the prime of his career, this is a player who played in just 46 games last season and has never played more than 67 games in a season in his career.

The Pelicans’ payroll is going to get expensive starting next season, as Zion Williamson’s extension kicks in, which will give them three players making more than $30 million per season at the top of the payroll.

That makes Nance Jr. a pretty big risk, as he hasn’t been able to stay healthy for full seasons and the Pelicans can’t afford to pay huge money for a guy who might not be on the floor.

But he’s been a very effective player when he has been in there and offers skills the Pelicans need, so I am sure they will try to come to some sort of mutually beneficial deal.

I can’t see New Orleans going too much higher than $10 million per season, nor over a maximum three years on the deal.

I think Nance Jr’s next deal will be in the 3 years/$30 million range, and if he stays healthy, that will look like a bargain with the salary cap going up. But he’ll be an unrestricted free agent after this season, and if he has a good one, some other team might swoop in and offer more, putting the Pels in a bidding war that they might not be able (or willing) to win.

There is a lot at stake for Nance Jr. this season, as his next contract depends on it whether it is with New Orleans or someone else.