The Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis have had a successful partnership to this point, winning a championship in his first season after being acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Since that 2019-20 season, Davis has undoubtedly dealt with his fare share of injuries. When he has been on the court though, Davis remains as dominant as ever, and that was especially the case during L.A.’s 2023 playoff run in which the organization got back to the Western Conference Finals.
Coming into this offseason, the Lakers and Davis had some decisions to make as the big man would be eligible for an extension starting Aug. 4.
All reports indicated that both sides were interested in getting a deal done though, and now that August is here, Davis and the Lakers have reportedly agreed to a maximum contract extension that will keep him in L.A. for the next five seasons, via Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
BREAKING: Lakers star Anthony Davis has agreed on a three-year $186M max extension, tying him to franchise thru 2028 for total of $270M-plus, @KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. Davis lands richest annual extension in NBA history at $62M. pic.twitter.com/bf9kWgD7uz
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 4, 2023
Davis’ extension tacks three years, $186 million onto his current remaining deal of two years. This means Davis will make around $270 million over the next five seasons, paying him through the 2027-28 campaign. That is Davis’ age-34 season.
In giving Davis this extension, the Lakers are showing faith that they can build a championship-caliber team around the superstar big man even after the departure of LeBron James. It’s unclear whether or not James will return to the Lakers after the 2023-24 season, meaning that could be four years of Davis at the helm.
Had Davis not received a full max offer from the Lakers, conversations may have begun about trading the perennial All-Star given that he is nearing the final season of his contract. Instead, the Lakers can focus on building around their anchor, hoping he can stay healthy to lead the organization.
Davis is coming off of a strong 2022-23 season that saw him average 25.9 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game on a career high 62.7 true shooting percentage. He played 54 games, but was one of the league’s best players when he was available.
He now is tied to the Lakers for five seasons, giving them an elite building block as they transition towards the next era of L.A. basketball.
D’Angelo Russell believes ‘sky is the limit’ for Lakers
Now that the Lakers have taken care of business with Davis, they can begin looking ahead for a championship contending 2023-24 season. D’Angelo Russell, for one, sees big things for the group they have.
He believes that with all the talent and depth the Lakers have, if they can each commit to their individual roles, the sky is the limit for what they can accomplish together.
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