Anthony Davis loses $23 million because of NBA CBA

Anthony Davis just missed out on making one of the All-NBA teams, and it cost him dearly.

The New Orleans Pelicans star signed a maximum five-year, $145 million extension last summer. As part of the CBA, Davis is eligible for the "Rose Rule" to earn that much.

Here's the problem: That rule only grants players signing their first extension after their rookie contract a 30% max-level raise structure that hinges on three criteria. Larry Coon's CBA FAQ explains the criteria a player must meet during his rookie contract to receive this contract:

• Named to the All-NBA First, Second, or Third team at least twice
• Voted as a starter in the All-Star game at least twice
• Named the NBA Most Valuable Player at least once

Davis missed out on earning an All-Star starter berth this year while Stephen Curry was the league's unanimous MVP pick.

On Thursday, the league announced the All-NBA First, Second and Third-Team, none of which included Davis. That means he missed all three criteria and will miss out on around $23 million, despite being one of the league's best players over the past two seasons.

Ouch.

There's no question Davis took a step back from his previous season – when he was an All-NBA first-team selection – but still put up nearly identical statistics in scoring average (24.3 ppg compared to 24.4 last season) and rebounding average (10.3 rpg, slightly better than 10.2 last season).

However, team results greatly impacted assessments of the three-time All-Star – the Pelicans dipped from 45 wins to 30 and did not return to the playoffs. New Orleans went 24-37 in the 61 games Davis played, prior to his season coming to an end March 20, a result of him requiring a surgical procedure on his left knee.

Is missing that much time really enough to keep Davis from his bonus? The NBA apparently thinks so with how this rule is worded, but I would expect it to be modified in the next CBA to prevent this kind of screw job from happening to others.