New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry has agreed to a two-year contract extension that will take his deal through the 2020-21 season, the team announced Thursday.
Pelicans general manager Dell Demps had previously exercised the team option on the 2018-19 season prior to New Orleans' first-round sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Gentry will receive a raise on his 2018-19 salary, a guaranteed contract for 2019-20 and a 2020-21 contract that will be performance-based, league sources told ESPN.
"We are thrilled to have Alvin as our head coach," Demps said in a news release. "He did a tremendous job last season. When we faced adversity, Alvin and his staff continually discovered ways to place the team in situations where we could be successful."
For the Pelicans, Gentry's extension offers some organizational stability surrounding superstar Anthony Davis and All-NBA defensive guard Jrue Holiday. The Pelicans are interested in re-signing free-agent center DeMarcus Cousins and guard Rajon Rondo.
Gentry, 63, led the Pelicans to a 48-34 regular season and a sixth seed in the Western Conference before a 4-0 series victory over Portland in the first round of the playoffs. The Pelicans lost to the Golden State Warriors in the conference semifinals.
Gentry signed an original four-year deal with a team option in 2015, then went 64-100 in two injury-wrought seasons as Pelicans coach.
The Pelicans' well-regarded assistant coaching staff, including associate head coach Darren Erman, Chris Finch and Fred Vinson, also had their contract options picked up for next year.
