Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis will sign a three-year, $186 million max contract extension to remain with the team through 2028, team sources told The Athletic. Here’s what you need to know:
Davis had two years and $84 million left on his deal before the extension. The $270 million contract, averaging $62 million a season, is the richest annual contract extension in NBA history.
The 30-year-old averaged 25.9 points, 12.5 points and two blocks per game last season while shooting 56.3 percent from the field.
Davis was traded to the Lakers from the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019. The eight-time All-Star helped Los Angeles win the NBA title in 2020
This extension cements Davis as the face of the next era of Lakers basketball. Whenever LeBron James is no longer a Laker — due to retirement or leaving for another team — Davis will be the pillar that the franchise pitches to prospective superstar running mates.
The 2025 free-agent class, in particular, could be star-studded and potentially include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell, among others. Davis will be 32 then, heading into the back nine of his prime as one of the game’s elite defenders and interior forces. He has a malleable skill set that fits perfectly next to any perimeter star, as he’s shown in both New Orleans and Los Angeles. He’s also demonstrated a willingness to defer and accept being a top-notch No. 2 option — as he did with James and the Lakers despite joining them in his prime — indicating another star could sign in L.A. and assume more of the alpha role and spotlight.
Finally, if there was any doubt — and there shouldn’t have been — this confirms that Davis’ No. 3 jersey will one day hang in the Crypto.com Arena rafters next to the other Laker greats. — Buha
Backstory
Davis, the No. 1 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, holds career averages of 24.0 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He played the first seven seasons of his career in New Orleans.