The Los Angeles Lakers set themselves up for life after LeBron James when they agreed to terms with Anthony Davis on a lucrative three-year contract extension, the richest one in NBA history.
The new deal ties Davis to the storied franchise through the 2027-28 season, though he reportedly has a player option on the final year. Still, keeping the star big man in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future ensures stability and continuity for a team that has seen plenty of roster turnover the past few seasons.
The Lakers have always prided themselves on taking care of their stars and this is another example of that. While some might argue that Davis’ injury history should’ve given Los Angeles more pause, the organization understood that rewarding Davis for his contributions so far was more important.
As far as Davis’ injury concerns go, his agent Rich Paul chalked it up to bad luck and not his work ethic, via Mark Medina of Sportskeeda:
“They understand AD and his work ethic has shown,” Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told Sportskeeda on Friday. “He has some injuries, but it wasn’t due to him not working. It’s not like he came into camp overweight or showed any laziness. There were just fluke things. That happens in the game.”
Paul added that the Lakers understood what Davis means to them and the role he plays when they’re successful:
“[The Lakers] weren’t caught up in that,” Paul said about Davis’ injury history. “When you look at their style of play and what AD can bring to the table, it’s just something that was important to the team.”
There’s no denying the level of impact that Davis makes when he’s healthy and playing up to his potential. The most clear example is his run during L.A.’s playoff run to the Western Conference Finals where he was by far and away the best player on the court in several games.
At this point of his career, it’s unreasonable to expect Davis to play all 82 regular season games but that won’t matter as long as he’s healthy when the games really matter. During the 2023-24 season, expect the Lakers to load manage their star and ensure he’s at his best for the playoffs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo hilariously reacts to Anthony Davis’ extension
Stars have always wanted to play in Los Angeles because of the perks, though it does come at a steep price due to taxes. When a breakdown surfaced of what Davis is actually due to take home in salary, Giannis Antetokounmpo had a hilarious response.
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