NBA
Lakers: Anthony Davis could reportedly sign a contract extension before training camp starts
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated19 Jul 2023
It’s debatable to say who the best player on the LA Lakers is next season. LeBron James is still an incredible athlete at 38, but Anthony Davis makes just as much of an impact, if not more. Davis just turned 30 this offseason and is in the prime of his career. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that the 2020 NBA champ is expected to sign an extension before training camp starts.
Earlier this month there were reports that the Lakers might be reluctant to sign Davis to an extension. After Dave McMenamin’s report on Zach Lowe’s podcast, that reluctance seems to have vanished. Anthony Davis currently has two years left on a five-year, $190 million deal he signed in 2020.
The Lakers are trying to cash in on the small championship window they have left with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It’s still unknown how long LeBron is going to be able to sustain his level of play. He’ll turn 39 next season. Retaining Davis long-term is the best move for the Lakers to be legit Western Conference Contenders.
Report: Anthony Davis expected to sign extension before Lakers training camp https://t.co/vw5ntfIFOT
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) July 19, 2023
League reports say there’s a strong chance that Anthony Davis signs an extension this offseason
In 56 games played with 54 starts last season, Anthony Davis was dominant on both ends of the court. Sports talk shows were debating Davis as an MVP candidate early on in the season. However, he went down with a right foot injury and missed five consecutive weeks.
When he returned, he stayed healthy for the rest of the season and was key for the Lakers in the playoffs. During the 2023 postseason, Davis averaged a playoff-leading (14.1) rebounds and (3.1) blocks per game. The Lakers made it to the Conference Finals in 2023 but were swept by the Denver Nuggets.
Next season, Davis is set to earn $40.6 million and he has an early termination offer (ETO) for 2024-25. If he does sign an extension this offseason, that ETO would disappear unless they restructure that into his new deal. This offseason, the Lakers have arguably made the best moves of any team in the NBA. They want to cash in on the championship window they have and it starts with Davis signing an extension.
