Anthony Davis Loses $24M for Failing to Make 2015-16 All-NBA Teams

The Association announced All-NBA teams Thursday, and Anthony Davis' absence from the three elite five-man units cost him the chance to earn an extra $24 million.     

According to ESPN.com's Darren Rovell, the New Orleans Pelicans forward won't benefit from the collective bargaining agreement's Rose Rule escalator, which stipulates a player can make up to 30 percent of a team's salary cap on his first deal outside of the rookie scale if he wins MVP, qualifies for two All-NBA teams or is voted an All-Star starter twice. 

Davis fell just short of the qualifications since he earned a starting nod in the 2015 All-Star Game and was named a first-team All-NBA member a season ago. However, an injury-plagued 2015-16 campaign prevented Davis from racking up accolades even though he was the only player to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. 

Team	Guard	Guard	Forward	Forward	Center
First Team	Stephen Curry	Russell Westbrook	LeBron James	Kawhi Leonard	DeAndre Jordan
Second Team	Chris Paul	Damian Lillard	Kevin Durant	Draymond Green	DeMarcus Cousins
Third Team	Kyle Lowry	Klay Thompson	Paul George	LaMarcus Aldridge	Andre Drummond

As a result, Davis will earn the 25 percent standard maximum deal he agreed to shortly after free agency began last summer. The original terms reported under the assumption that Davis would cash out via the Rose Rule were $145 million over five years, according to the Times-Picayune's John Reid, but he'll now earn $121 million during that same stretch. 

The Vertical noted it's not necessarily fair that fans and writers play a role in determining players' earning power:  

On the flip side, Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard capitalized on a stellar season to the tune of second-team All-NBA honors. Thanks to Thursday's achievement and his third-team All-NBA selection after the 2013-14 season, the floor general will be eligible for a Rose Rule boost. 

However, Basketball Insiders salary-cap expert Eric Pincus noted Lillard and the Blazers negotiated a 27.5 percent rate rather than the full 30 percent mark. Thus, Lillard's five-year, $120 million extension will now be worth an estimated $136.4 million, per Pincus. 

As for the Pelicans and Blazers, Thursday's announcement will have some salary-cap ramifications. 

While Portland needs to set aside a bit of extra change to pay Lillard his raise over the next five years, New Orleans has $24 million extra to spend in free agency. 

And considering the Pelicans have holes to fill all over their roster as they seek to rebound from a 30-52 season that resulted in a last-place finish in the Southwest Division, financial wiggle room should allow them to be more aggressive when it comes to targeting potential difference-makers.