The Los Angeles Lakers have made a sizable long-term commitment to NBA All-Pro forward Anthony Davis.
The two sides agreed to a three-year, $186 million maximum contract extension, ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wonjarowski reported in breaking the story.
“BREAKING: Lakers star Anthony Davis has agreed on a three-year $186M max extension, tying him to franchise thru 2028 for total of $270M-plus,” Wojnarowski tweeted.
“KlutchSports CEO Rich Paul tells ESPN. Davis lands richest annual extension in NBA history at $62M.”
Davis had two years and $84 million left on his contract. The Lakers, however, wasted no time in signing him to the major extension when he became eligible for a new deal on Friday.
The Lakers originally landed Davis in 2019 in a blockbuster deal with the New Orleans Pelicans. As Wojnarowski noted, Davis averaged 26 points, 12.5 rebounds and two blocks a game for the Lakers—while shooting a career-high 56 percent from the field—during last year’s campaign that ended in the Western Conference Finals.
Davis is a four-time All-NBA first-teamer and has averaged 25 points and two blocks in a season five teams, trailing only Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, according to ESPN Stats and Information.
The NBA world was quick to react to the Lakers making a massive commitment to making Davis a cornerstone of their team for years to come:
There it is, Lakers get it done. Important move for their future. https://t.co/tovQu8SjCt
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) August 4, 2023
3YR/$186,000,000 deal for Anthony Davis which is $62M/YR for AD.
Maybe the best two-way player in the NBA that anchored the best playoff defense in the NBA Playoffs.
Great deal for AD and the Lakers. https://t.co/j4UXZHjXzz
— Swipa (@SwipaCam) August 4, 2023
I get frustrated with his injuries as much as anyone but reading the replies to this you’d never know the Lakers won the title in 2020 and made the West finals just last year. Every team that’s trying to win would be willing to pay this contract. https://t.co/6YXZA7ibtb
— Sam Baker (@sam_baker) August 4, 2023
$62 million per year is absolutely absurd https://t.co/xcIbLF5q7g
— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) August 4, 2023
People on this app worry too much about the future man
People in quotes saying this is dumb cuz of what he could potentially be when hes 35 😂
When hes 35…hes an expiring anyways that will be easy to get off. You give the all nba player a blank check 10/10x https://t.co/xTBdr4qd5t
— amar (@okcsuck) August 4, 2023
[ESPN]
