NBA Rumors: Anthony Davis Reportedly Expected To Wait Till Summer Before Re-Signing With Lakers
Although Anthony Davis will become eligible to sign a contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers in a few weeks from now, a new report suggests that the superstar big man will wait until the 2020 offseason before signing a new deal with the team.
Citing a premium article from ESPN’s “NBA Insiders,” Bleacher Report wrote on Monday that while Davis can sign an extension as early as January 7, the “leaguewide expectation” is that the 26-year-old forward/center will hold off until July, which is when he can enter free agency and sign a new contract with the Lakers. The publication noted that this would allow Davis to earn more money, as he would only be able to sign a four-year, $146 million extension in January, as opposed to the five-year, $202 million deal he would be eligible for in the summer.
As further speculated by Bleacher Report, Davis has mostly played it coy when asked about his plans in the 2020 offseason, but it’s unlikely that he will choose to leave Los Angeles due to a number of factors. The outlet recalled that the former All-NBA big man had been prioritizing the Lakers since he first demanded to be traded by the New Orleans Pelicans midway through the 2018-19 season. And with the team off to a 24-6 start to the 2019-20 campaign — even with their recent three-game losing streak in mind — Davis has, as noted, “found the most success” of his eight-year NBA career wearing the purple-and-gold and playing alongside LeBron James in Los Angeles.
ANTHONY DAVIS OVER GIANNIS. SHEESH https://t.co/VcT2W3rXWl
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) December 20, 2019
Talking about the type of deal Davis could sign if he chooses to remain with the Lakers, Bleacher Report speculated that he might opt for a “two-plus-one” contract — a three-year deal with a player option in the final year. This would allow him to qualify for a supermax contract following what would be his 10th NBA season, one where he could earn up to 35 percent of his team’s salary cap. However, the publication cautioned that the “uncertainty” regarding the league’s “financial future” could make the standard five-year contract a safer choice for Davis.
“Regardless of the numbers in the contract, Davis will be around in Los Angeles for the foreseeable future — likely even beyond LeBron’s time with the franchise,” Bleacher Report added.
Should Davis choose instead to try his luck with another organization once his Lakers contract expires, a number of rival teams were mentioned in the past as potential suitors for the former No. 1 overall draft pick. These include the New York Knicks, whom Davis said made the “final cut” in his shortlist of teams he wanted to join ahead of the 2019-20 season, as previously reported by The Inquisitr.
