Without a doubt the most important player in free agency for the Los Angeles Lakers is superstar big man Anthony Davis. The franchise plans on doing whatever is necessary to ensure Davis remains in a Lakers uniform for the foreseeable future.
Davis re-signing seems to be a foregone conclusion and him leaving the Lakers following a championship season in which he accomplished everything he hoped to would be an absolute shock. The question is the specifics of the contract, namely how long the deal will be.
Whatever he chooses to do, fans and the Lakers will have to wait some time before finding out Davis’ intentions. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Davis plans to wait until at least Thanksgiving before making his decision:
Klutch Sports CEO and Davis’s agent, Rich Paul, will be in contact with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka after 6 p.m. Friday, sources said, but Davis plans to wait minimally through Thanksgiving as he considers his options on the length and structure of maximum contract deals.
The Lakers are expected to present multiple options to Davis and let him choose whichever one suits him best. What some believe is most likely is that Davis signs a short-term deal in order to reach his 10 years of NBA service at which point he will be eligible for a larger maximum deal of 35% of the salary cap.
Whatever Davis decides to do, the Lakers will undoubtedly go along with it and continue to work on improving the team around him and LeBron James as they prepare to defend their title.
The Lakers have already acquired Dennis Schroder and have been linked to others in free agency as well. Vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka made it clear the team does not want be complacent after winning the championship last season.
Regardless, the waiting game for the Lakers in this situation is more than worth it as Davis is the present and future of the franchise.
Anthony Davis defers free agency question to Rich Paul
Davis himself recently had the opportunity to shed some light on his situation, but chose not to. In an interview, Davis deferred the free agency question he was asked to his agent Rich Paul, choosing to focus strictly on subjects other than his free agency.
That is what he hired Paul to do and he will handle all things pertaining to that while Davis stays focused on the court.
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