Anthony Davis has signed a three-year, $186 million extension with the Los Angeles Lakers and an NBA executive who spoke with Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports believes Davis’ extension “paves the way” for LeBron James to finish his career with the Lakers.
LeBron can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024 if he declines his 2024-25 player option. Davis and LeBron have the same agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group.
“Now, AD can change his mind if LeBron leaves the Lakers down the road and ask for a trade—everyone’s doing that now, right?—but the message to LeBron is that hey want him there and AD signing that is a message, too,” the NBA exec told Deveney. “It paves the way for these two guys to stay together for the foreseeable.”
Davis is committed to the Lakers for five more years and approximately $270.5 million. Davis’ extension, which kicks in for the 2025-26 season, is the richest extension in NBA history with a projected average annual value of $62 million.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: LeBron James, Anthony Davis & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
LeBron and Davis are close friends off the court. The two superstars helped the Lakers win the 2020 NBA championship over the Miami Heat in six games at the Walt Disney World bubble. Los Angeles is 95-49 since 2019-20 when LeBron and Davis are in the lineup during the regular season.
“You sign AD to this deal, there is the Klutch connection there, and LeBron has a certain level of responsibility for what Davis does with the Lakers,” the NBA exec told Deveney. “So of course, there is communication there. If LeBron was going to leave, that would change the conversation.”
The Lakers got swept by the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Finals. Both LeBron and Davis have recovered from the respective foot ailments they suffered and played through last season. LeBron missed 13 straight games from late February until late March because of a torn tendon in his right foot, while Davis missed 20 straight games from mid-December until late January with a bone spur and stress reaction in his right foot.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: LeBron James, Anthony Davis & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Neither LeBron nor Davis underwent offseason surgery. Davis finished the 2023 playoffs averaging 22.6 points, 14.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 3.1 blocks in 16 games versus the Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and Nuggets. LeBron, meanwhile, put up 24.5 points, 9.9 boards and 6.5 assists per game.
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