The Los Angeles Lakers won’t lose Anthony Davis anytime soon.
According to Rich Paul, a Klutch Sports agent, the star big man allegedly agreed to a three-year, $186 million agreement with the franchise on Friday.
Davis, 30, already had a $40.6 million deal for the 2023–2024 season, and he had a $43.2 million early termination clause for the 2024–2025 season. According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, his new contract will now begin in 2025–2026.
After the Denver Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, LeBron James said he might think about retiring, leaving the Lakers with significant doubt about the future going into the offseason.
That raised the question of whether Davis would commit to the Lakers in the long run without James. The news from Friday has provided the answer to that query.
With Davis as their best player, the Lakers may still not have a chance at winning a title. JJ Redick, a former NBA player and current ESPN analyst, doesn’t think AD possesses the “alpha” attribute that the majority of top-tier superstars do:
“No matter how much we try to make Anthony Davis into this alpha, that’s not who he is. He’s a fantastic basketball player, an All-NBA player, an All-Defensive player, he’s not an alpha.”
His two playoff appearances in seven seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans corroborate that argument, and it very well may be the case, but the Lakers would be much worse off without him.
Davis would always be compensated. Eight-time All-Stars, first-team NBA selections on four occasions, and first-team All-Defensive selections twice are more likely to receive the contract extensions they desire.
When healthy, Davis continues to be one of the most formidable big players in the NBA. His statistics from last season show that he averaged 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game.
His leadership abilities, outside shooting (25.7 percent from three last season), and how his body will hold him in his 30s given his history of injury troubles are all areas of concern.
For the Lakers, however, this extension was still a no-brainer. By contracting him until 2027–28, the Lakers should remain competitive for some time.