The Los Angeles Lakers traded for Anthony Davis hoping he’d take over LeBron James. And while that hasn’t happened yet — and likely won’t happen at this point — he has still been a major contributor to the team.
Davis’ injury proneness and inconsistency from time to time have exasperated some fans, and it even led to some questions about a potential contract extension.
However, a report by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin states that he’s expected to sign a new deal with the Purple and Gold before the start of the 2023-24 NBA season, and it could happen as early as the next couple of weeks.
Lakers Will Extend Anthony Davis Soon
(via Dave McMenamin)
“Anthony Davis in Rob [Pelinka’s] estimation is someone that has represented the Lakers really well, citing how he played through his foot injury last year as a major reason why they won a championship in 2020 and he wants to continue to have Anthony Davis as a Laker.
I am not too concerned about how this thing plays out, whether it’s the max amount of years or max amount of dollars are reached, that remains to be seen and that will be figured out between Rich Paul and Rob Pelinka and Jeanie Buss. But where things stand right now, I expect some sort of an agreement to be reached.
A lot of it is one, recognizing that Anthony Davis as a trade chip, there’s no way to replicate the value of what he brings to the court combined with LeBron James when he’s healthy, you just won’t. It’s absolutely impossible. You also recognize that LeBron turning 39 years old and entering Year 21 has a limited window, so then to try to coalesce with a new group if you were to find this beautiful trade for Anthony Davis, that’s follied, you could be wasting what’s left of LeBron and then beyond that, listen, we know the business of this league.
If there’s no extension offered, what do you do? You apply pressure the other way and say I want out. So I’m fairly confident that Anthony Davis will come into training camp with an extended deal.”
Davis is one of the most talented players in the league and he’ll be the key to their success with an aging LeBron. Now, whether they’ll sign him to the max they can offer him, given his history of injuries remains to be seen.