OCTOBER 3: Nance has officially signed the extension, according to a team press release.
OCTOBER 1: The Pelicans and forward Larry Nance Jr. have reached an agreement on a two-year, $21.6MM extension, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.
Nance is entering the final year of a four-year, $44.8MM contract. He’ll make $9,672,727 this season.
There are no team or player options included in the new extension, Will Guillory of The Athletic tweets.
Nance, 29, has bounced around the league a little bit but has always been coveted for his versatility. He launched his career with the Lakers and played three-and-a-half seasons with Cleveland. He began last season on Portland’s roster but was part of the blockbuster deal that brought CJ McCollum to New Orleans.
Nance appeared in a total of 46 regular season games last season. Overall, he’s appeared in 396 regular season contests, averaging 8.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.9 APG and 1.2 SPG in 24.1 MPG.
He projects as Zion Williamson‘s backup this season and now, apparently, for the next two seasons as well.
As Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune notes (Twitter link), the Pelicans will now have eight players — McCollum, Brandon Ingram, Williamson, Devonte’ Graham, Dyson Daniels, Trey Murphy, Jose Alvarado and Nance — under contract for the next three seasons.
Good for Larry Nance Jr. He grew up here in Northeast Ohio and we were glad to have him on the Cavs. He plays defense and rebounds and does a lot of things to help his team win. We were sorry to see him leave but we’re proud of his play and character. His extension will help New Orleans win for these next few years. Glad to see the Pelicans recognize his value.
Being Zion’s backup probably means you’re gonna play more minutes than a traditional backup… Good option for 6th man OTY award
Larry Nance Jr. definitely deserve it. He’s a very solid role player. Can play the 4 or 5 and defend both positions with no problem.
The Pelicans about to be wicked good. Tell me why they are top 4 seed in the West with a healthy Zion Williamson. No doubt.