Regardless of any trades or signings the Los Angeles Lakers make in this offseason, by far the most important one is making sure Anthony Davis remains with the franchise.
The superstar big man came in and delivered a championship in his first season with the Lakers and now the team plan to lock him up to a long-term deal. Davis declined his player option for the 2020-21 season, which was anticipated and he is completely expected to re-sign.
Moreover, the front office reportedly is prepared to present multiple contract options to Davis and will give him the choice of whichever type of deal he prefers.
Up to this point Davis has been relatively quiet on his free agency and that didn’t change in his recent appearance on Posted Up with Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports, during which he quickly deferred the free agency questions to his agent:
“Yeah, all my free agent questions can go to my agent, Rich Paul.”
This is pretty normal for players in Davis’ position and in no way indicates what his intentions might be. Obviously nothing is for sure until a contract has been signed, but by all accounts Davis will be in purple and gold for the foreseeable future.
Davis forced a trade to the Lakers last summer and got exactly what he was hoping for in a championship, so to leave after a year like that would be shocking to say the least. But regardless of his intentions in free agency, Davis was always going to remain quiet on the matter.
Nonetheless, vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office are already hard at work to give Davis exactly what he wants to ensure the franchise has the superstar in their uniform for a long time to come, with hopefully more championships to follow as well.
Avery Bradley seeking long-term contract
In regards to the status of the rest of the Lakers team, one player who may or may not be back is Avery Bradley. Though he chose not to enter the bubble and finish out the 2020 season, Bradley played a key role during the regular season as a starter and excellent defender.
Bradley has a player option that he hasn’t decided on yet, but he is reportedly seeking a long-term contract. Reports also indicate that he would prefer to remain in L.A. and the team could give him that deal if he opts out.
But there is also a market for Bradley after an impressive season. In 49 games last season he averaged 8.6 points while knocking down 36.4% from three-point range and still providing the hard-nosed defense he has been known for.
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