AUGUST 6: Davis’ new three-year extension is now official, the Lakers announced (Twitter link via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin). According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the final year is a player option (Twitter link).
AUGUST 4: The Lakers and star big man Anthony Davis are in agreement on a three-year, maximum-salary contract extension, agent Rich Paul tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. The two sides wasted little time in reaching a deal after Davis became extension-eligible on Friday.
Although Wojnarowski refers to it as a $186MM extension, the exact value of the three-year contract won’t be determined until June 2025. Davis will earn a starting salary worth 35% of the salary cap in 2025/26, with subsequent 8% annual raises.
As we outlined earlier today, in order for the deal to be worth $186MM, the cap would have to increase by the maximum allowable 10% in each of the next two seasons, reaching nearly $164.6MM by ’25/26. That would be a best-case scenario, but the NBA is currently projecting more modest cap increases. If the cap is instead at $150MM in ’25/26, for example, Davis’ three-year deal would be worth about $170MM.
Either way, the long-term agreement – which was reached quickly and seemingly without any drama – is good news for both Davis and the Lakers, who are now tied to one another through the 2027/28 season.
Davis has shown a tendency in the past to take long-term guaranteed money when it’s on the table rather than trying to maximize his earnings with shorter-term deals. He’s sticking to that approach here, accepting a max extension offer when it’s available rather than playing out the 2023/24 season in the hopes of signing a bigger deal as a free agent in 2024, when he would have been eligible to opt out of his current contract.
It’s possible that accepting an extension now will cost him a little money in the long run, but for a player who has battled injuries throughout his career, it’s hard to argue with the decision. Davis has been limited to 132 of 236 regular season games over the past three years and hasn’t played more than 62 games in a season since 2017/18.
For the Lakers, meanwhile, it’s a massive investment in a player who has Davis’ injury history, but it’s an investment that could pay dividends, given that the alternative may have been negotiating a maximum-salary free agent contract of up to five years in 2024.
By signing Davis to an extension now, Los Angeles ensures that he’s locked into his current deal through the 2024/25 season, when he’ll be earning a salary ($43.2MM) well below his potential maximum. The team also won’t have to commit to him beyond 2028, when he’ll be 35 years old.
And when healthy, Davis has continued to be one of the NBA’s most dominant two-way stars. The 30-year-old averaged 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.0 blocks per game in 56 appearances (34.0 MPG) during the 2022/23 season, shooting 56.3% from the floor.
Davis is also an elite rim protector whose performance on that end of the court was a major factor the Lakers’ run to the Western Conference Finals this spring. He ranked first in the postseason with 14.1 RPG and 3.1 BPG.
Davis will earn $40.6MM in 2023/24, so he’s now in line to make up to approximately $270MM over the next five seasons if the cap continues to rise by 10% annually.
Davis and LeBron James have been the cornerstones of the Lakers over the last few seasons, including in the 2020 championship season. James’ future with the team beyond the 2023/24 season remains up in the air, since he has the ability to opt out of his deal and – at 38 years old – has alluded to the possibility of retirement. But whether or not LeBron remains in Los Angeles for the long term, it appears the franchise is committed to building around Davis for the foreseeable future.
Up to 4/186MM for AD? I mean, I guess that’s the cost of doing business in the NBA in this climate.
It’s sounds like y’all on this site hating on the best agent in basketball in Rich Paul. It also sounds like y’all hating on Anthony Davis. He is one of the best players in the NBA. He’s a two way player and has delivered a championship. Now they have traded for him for more championships and titles and he will definitely deliver another. He’s been injury prone throughout his career but when healthy he’s one of the best players money can buy. He will be in the conversation this year for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. Then they will also be competing with the Denver Nuggets Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors for best record in the NBA.
Lakers had no choice but resign him to a max deal. I wouldn’t be counting on a championship in the future. The West is so packed that just being in the playoffs will be a chore. Going to need to get by Nuggets, Suns, Warriors, Kings, Grizzlies, and clipper just to get to top 6 not counting T-wolves, Pelicans, OKC, and Mavs.
I think there’s good reason to have faith. Keep in mind this team changed dramatically after the trade deadline. They were one of the best teams since the deadline and went to the ECF beating the Warriors and the Grizzlies. If anything, they might have gotten slightly better this off-season. I would say they are absolutely capable of being a top 5 team.
If Rich Davis can get Davis 186M for 4 years, more power to him. I think paying him 2M per game played is excessive, but it’s not my money!
Lol.
AD’s burner???
Sounds like YOU are dismissing or ignoring the amount of time missed in his career. Is he worth the money? Of course. Will he play over 75% of those games? Unlikely.
Part time player getting a max deal. LA being LA
It’s gonna be even worse for the clippers when they pay part time stars Kawhi and pg13
Both LA teams have two part time stars taking most of their cap space. Propaganda city isn’t known for its smarts.
What are they supposed to do, not keep Anthony frigging Davis?
Who else would give him that contract?
AD’s camp factors in the fact that he’s only gonna play 55-60 games on a GOOD year, so it’s a helluva deal for him and KLUTCH!
Rich Paul is a scumbag
For what? Being one of the best? It’sa salary cap league. What evils has he committed?
Are the owners aware they don’t have to pay this.
They just signed the contract, so yes they do in fact have to pay this.
Lakers will regret it when he is street clothes in December. Brittle boned he is!
Like it or not, it’s a win win deal for both AD and the team. 2 less yrs is a great win for the Lakers. And AD is still a tradable asset.
It’s only a win for Davis. Lakers are screwed and stuck.
As a clippers fan I dread the clippers paying their equally injury prone duo of stars huge extensions in their 30s as well !
At least the lakers duo has already won a Title the clippers duo is unlikely ever to lead the clippers to a finals appearance
Yeah that bubblechip the league gave the lakers doesn’t count.
That poster Highwaymenance doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Lakers were gone from the west before the lockdown and had just beat Bucks and Clippers. But sure only the bubble won the chip
Here’s the thing about the bubble. EVERY DAMN TEAM played under the EXACT same circumstances. There were no fans!!! The Lakers enjoyed zero advantages. Same hotels, same courts, no fans, no travel.
Knowing that it bothers you is all I need
Over the last 4 seasons Steph Curry has missed 107 games. AD has missed 111. The street clothes thing is a good gag but the numbers might actually surprise some of you who’s only opinions come from Bayless or SAS
Comparing one the greatest to ever play the game to the overgrown loser in LA? Ok.
Let’s go back just 3 years:
Curry: 183 Games Played
Davis: 132 Games Played
Let’s go back 1 year. They each played just 56 games. His point is valid. Curry has been just as injury prone as AD.
I think they have 3 WCF finals visits in last 4 years if AD doesn’t get hurt against Phx game 4 , but per usual it’s impossible to have rationale Lal Convos in here
Easy ink here for Lal
You forget that CP3 was out for that series vs the Lakers too. So don’t just assume that they would have won.
Also, last year we all know the Lakers and Warriors wouldn’t have made it past Denver or Phoenix, so let’s not pretend like they were the 2nd best team in the West.
Im taking notes lol
AD from the Soft Side of Chicago …..
Lakers are done, finito……. they should trade AD (next year) and rebuild.
They have LBJ under contract and history has shown if you have him you have a great chance at making the playoffs. Claiming this will ruin the franchise when they’ve got a snowballs chance this season is stupid. One injury can bring the Nuggets back down to earth and open up opportunities for a few select teams. Lakers are good enough to be a top 5 team.
Claiming ???? making things up again …
I said rebuild. Bron is done and gone. Move on, catch up to reality.
If the NBA could institute a rule where whatever salary a player agrees to, is paid out only for games he plays (with a minimum minute requirement, the business of load management would be gone quickly.
Salary÷82 (or whatever number of “regular season games”)=individual game salary/check, multiplied by the actual games played = total annual salary earned.
Everyone knows he only wants to play in LA. He made that clear at the time of trade. I would have low balled him.
Jeanie and Rob don’t have more than 2 brain cells between them. Why would you expect better?
Bitter little boy. Highway get none last night?
Yes he may want to play LA but do you really think he’s going to take an offer he may feel insulting? Good luck with that.
Hope they took out an insurance to pay him when he is hurt for 3/4 of the contract
AD is worth every penny of the deal…as a matter of fact, I would say that the LAL are getting a huge bargain at that price, very cheap for a perennial top 5 player in the league!
Hyper Extension
Lakers, like any team, really have no choice. That being said its an obscene amount of money that no athlete in any sport deserves
This arrogant, selfish, egomaniacal, low iq, and fragile placebo of a star will be the demise of the Lakers for the next few years.
I know s**t about basketball but lol
Long term 3 yr deal
No person is worth this kind of money. AD will make more in one 2 hour game than I will make in 10 years. I know it’s the market but it is still ridiculous. At some point I hope the world turns its opinion on this and maybe then EVERYONE can get their bills paid and live a comfortable life.