NBA Rumors: Anthony Davis Refuses To Talk About 2020 Free Agency, ‘I’m Just Focused On This Season’
When the 2018-19 NBA season officially came to an end, All-Star center Anthony Davis became one of the most coveted superstars on the trade market. When the New Orleans Pelicans started listening to offers for Davis, several NBA teams immediately expressed interest in adding “The Brow” to their roster. After the Boston Celtics backed out of the trade negotiation, the Pelicans decided to trade Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and three future first-round picks.
The successful acquisition of Anthony Davis is undeniably a franchise-altering move for the Lakers. With Davis and LeBron James on their roster, the Lakers have succeeded in turning themselves from one of the worst NBA teams in the league to a legitimate title contender in the deep Western Conference. In a recent interview with Rachel Nichols of ESPN, Davis said that being a member of the Purple and Gold is “something that I’m excited about.”
Anthony Davis is well-aware of the history of the Lakers franchise, including the NBA Hall of Famers they have produced and the number of NBA championship titles they have won. Despite knowing what he can accomplish with LeBron James in Los Angeles, it seems like Davis is not yet ready to commit long-term to the Lakers, though. When asked by ESPN‘s Nichols if he sees himself wearing the Purple and Gold beyond the 2019-20 NBA season, the 26-year-old center/power forward refused to give a straight answer.
“Honestly, Rachel, I’m just focused on this season,” Davis said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I have one year here, so I’m going make the best of this year. And when that time comes around in the summer or, you know, whenever the season’s over — hopefully, around, you know, mid-June, after we just had a parade, and I need a couple days to think — then we can talk about that. But until then, I’m trying to do whatever I can to help this team win this year.”
Anthony Davis says he's focused on season ahead and not interested in talking contract extension. https://t.co/U5U1wousLb
— USA TODAY NBA (@usatodaynba) July 16, 2019
Before he was traded to the Lakers, Anthony Davis informed all the interested teams about his plan to decline his player option for the 2020-21 NBA season and become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020. However, despite not receiving an assurance that he plans to re-sign, there are plenty of reasons why Lakers fans should be optimistic about Davis’ future in Los Angeles.
When Anthony Davis demanded a trade, the Lakers were rumored to be one of the top two teams where the All-Star center would consider staying long term. Furthermore, Davis is represented by Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group, whose biggest client is none other than Lakers superstar LeBron James.
