The Los Angeles Lakers have reached a three-year, $186 million extension with Anthony Davis, based on a report from Adrian Wojnarowski. The agreement was made possible as Davis and the Lakers were allowed to start negotiating on Friday. The extension will keep Davis with the Lakers until 2028, adding three years to his current contract.
Injuries have been a challenge for Davis since he joined the Lakers in 2019. In the four seasons he has played for the team, he has faced numerous injuries and has played 194 out of a possible 307 games. The Lakers’ performance with Davis and LeBron James in and out of the lineup has been mixed. They won the championship in 2020, were eliminated in the first round in 2021, missed the playoffs in 2022, and made it to the Western Conference finals in 2023.
While the inconsistency of Davis due to injuries poses a risk, it would be detrimental for the Lakers to trade him at a lower value or let him go in free agency, especially after their performance in the playoffs last season. With Davis and James healthy, the duo has shown they can make an impact in a competitive Western Conference when reaching the postseason.
The extension also provides the Lakers with a plan for the post-LeBron James era. James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is currently 36 years old and his contract expires in 2025. The Lakers will eventually need to prepare for his departure, and having Davis signed to an extension will make it easier to attract another star player in the future.
In the previous season, the Lakers made several trades before the deadline and added Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince in free agency to strengthen their depth. They currently have the sixth-best championship odds at 13-1, trailing only the Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference.
