Entering a contract year, many believed that Bojan Bogdanovic of the Indiana Pacers was primed for a big season. However, few might have predicted that he was going to be this good.

In his fifth year in the league, the 6-foot-8 wing was able to put up career-high numbers across the board as he ended the regular season with averages of 18.0 points (on 49.7 percent shooting), 2.0 three-pointers, 4.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 0.9 steals in 31.8 minutes of action.

Unfortunately for the Pacers, Bogdanovic might be on his way out this summer. The 29-year-old will likely be in search for a huge payday in the offseason — one that Indiana might not be able to offer the unrestricted free agent.

Following a tremendous campaign, Bogdanovic will not be short of suitors in free agency, and one such team that might just be an excellent fit for him would be the New Orleans Pelicans. Here's why.

Sustainability and Stability

As mentioned previously, Bogdanovic upped his level of play this season. There is now no doubt that he has settled in well with life in the NBA, and there's no reason to believe that he cannot sustain these numbers moving forward. At 29, he is at the peak of his career, and while he may not be able to further increase his numbers, he should be able to at least play at the same pace for a few more years.

The Pelicans are in the midst of an existential crisis with cornerstone superstar Anthony Davis on his way out. It's going to be a tough summer and season ahead for the Pelicans and they could sure use a guy like Bogdanovic who could help them keep the boat afloat, so to speak.

Invaluable Experience

Furthering the above point, another important aspect that Bogdanovic brings to the table is his invaluable experience. While he may only be playing in his sixth year in the league next season, the Croatian is a Euroleague veteran and has been playing at the professional level for quite some time now. Surely, he should be able to provide some invaluable knowledge to the younger guys on the Pelicans roster.

Moreover, Bogdanovic has proven that he has what it takes to overcome adversity. Last season, may assumed that the Pacers would falter following the season-ending injury of their superstar, Victor Oladipo. Bogdanovic was having none of this as he made sure that Indiana would be able to sustain their elite level of play despite the terrible circumstance they were in.

Instead of crumbling to the pressure, Bojan Bogdanovic and company all stepped up their game to compensate for the loss, and were still able to finish the regular season as the Eastern Conference's fifth-seeded team. Sure, they finally ran out of steam against the Boston Celtics in the first round, but no one can discredit them for what was a unquestionably valiant effort throughout the season.

An Excellent Piece 

Despite his outstanding numbers, it is highly unlikely that Bogdanovic will be able to fill the role of a team's number one option. Thankfully for him, this is not what's going to be expected of him if he signs with the Pelicans. New Orleans should get a lot of value in exchange for Davis, and they could potentially land a new/future cornerstone star such as the Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum.

While both Bogdanovic and Tatum currently play the three spot, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry could shift either guys to the power forward slot in order to accommodate both of them in the starting lineup. Bogdanovic could become a great stretch four guy, and more importantly, the pressure of being the team's primary option will fall on the shoulders of Tatum. Assuming that the Pelicans decide to keep Jrue Holiday on, Bogdanovic will likely be the team's number three option, which is something that he could actually thrive in.

This incoming free agency class is without a doubt one of the most talented groups we've ever seen in recent memory. There are a lot of big names that will require some big deals, so we can all be sure that hundreds of millions of dollars will be flying around come July.

One thing is clear, though: Bojan Bogdanovic had earned the right to be one of the highlights of this draft class. Any team that will be willing to give him his fair share of the pie would definitely be lucky to have him. For their part, the Pelicans ought to be wishing it would be them.