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Capping off a successful first day of free agency in which they inked generational superstar Anthony Davis to a colossal extension, the New Orleans Pelicans are progressing towards locking up a far more low-key piece of their starting frontcourt.
The Pelicans are finalizing a contract that will keep free-agent center Omer Asik in New Orleans, and expect to have a verbal agreement in place shortly, according to ESPN's Marc Stein.
USA Today's Sam Amick adds that the deal in the works is for five years, and Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports it's worth $60 million.
Hearing that the final year of Omer Asik's new contract in New Orleans is not guaranteed. Guaranteed cash in the deal roughly $45 million
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 2, 2015
Playing alongside Davis in his first season with the Pelicans last year, Asik averaged 7.3 points and 9.8 rebounds in 26.1 minutes per game. His production on offense - never a strong suit - was subtly improved, as he bumped up his offensive rebounding rate and cut down on turnovers, but his defensive impact took a dip.
Opponents shot 51.1 percent at the rim against Asik, a far cry from the 46.8 percent he held them to a season earlier, and while the Pelicans were marginally better defensively when he was on the floor, they still surrendered points at a rate that would rank in the bottom half of the NBA.
Still, after a season in which they made the postseason for the first time since Chris Paul split town, the Pelicans are betting that Asik is the right fit next to Davis, allowing him to slot in at power forward while cleaning the glass, protecting the rim, and doing all manner of grunt work down low.
