Now that he has officially been a member of the Lakers for six months, Anthony Davis became eligible today to sign a four-year, $145.7MM extension with the team, and L.A. put that offer on the table, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. However, sources tell Haynes that Davis will pass on an in-season extension in favor of reaching unrestricted free agency this summer.
Davis’ decision to decline the Lakers’ offer doesn’t mean he’s thinking about leaving the team. While it’s possible he wants to keep his options open, it makes financial sense for him to turn down an extension now even if he’s 100% committed to the Lakers. As a free agent, he’ll be eligible to sign a five-year contract worth nearly $202MM with the club, based on the NBA’s most recent cap projections.
Although Davis is expected to decline his 2020/21 player option to become a free agent in the offseason, no one in league circles expects him to leave the Lakers, according to Haynes, who says the star big man wants to focus solely on the current season at this time.
Davis, 26, has been an MVP candidate and Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner so far in 2019/20, averaging 27.7 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 3.2 APG, and 2.6 BPG in 34 games (35.4 MPG) for the 29-7 Lakers, who lead the Western Conference by four games. His next contract will certainly be a maximum-salary deal, but in-season extensions are limited to starting salaries worth 120% of a player’s current salary and can only be for five years total, including the current season, so they often aren’t true max contracts.
For Davis, a 20% raise on his current $27.09MM salary would work out to $32.51MM. His maximum 2020/21 salary if he waits until the offseason projects to be $34.8MM. Additionally, his Bird rights would make him eligible for five full years on a new contract if he re-signs with the Lakers at that time. He’d be limited to a four-year deal if he changes teams.
Davis was ineligible for an extension for the last six months because he waived his trade kicker as part of the blockbuster deal that sent him from New Orleans to Los Angeles last July.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Barring a huge choke lakers look like a lock for finals to play bucks. Leaving his options open gives lakers a chance to sign someone next summer or trade pieces since they would have ads bird rights. Makes sense for lakers to at least show they are interested its more of a formality
I don’t know if it would be a choke. They are not the Warriors from the past couple of years. I think LAC, HOU, even DAL or Utah could pick them off in a series.
It’s pretty much the LeBron and AD show every night. Outside them lakes don’t really have a reliable or feared 3rd option. Even the nuggets could threaten the Lakers in addition to the teams you listed.
Sure for people that dont watch lakers. Dwight howard is playing great nightly, caruso of late as well as kuzma. While most guys on the roster dont do much offensively they are defensive stoppers and rate better than clippers do in the wings and inside. Again i dont think roster will look the same come playoffs and i expect kuzma to be delt for something substantial
Ok as a Lakers fan this might the most ridiculous thing I have seen posted. Howard playing “great”? The dude is a serviceable backup with his 7/7 but great? No, Davis is playing great, Howard is proving help. But if Davis went down, Howard is no where near the caliber of player he once was.
Alex C? If Collinson came in tomorrow and said only way I play is if he is cut, then he is gone.
Please don’t use the word “great” for backup/role players that will barely play come playoffs.
Lol again your common casual fan brain always related to ppg and doesnt see the impact he has on the floor and his plus minus. Not to mention averaging almost 3 blocks per game. If it were really the case that ad and lebron were carrying the load they would both be playing close to 40 minutes per game. When in actuality lebron is playing his fewest minutes ever. Again you dont watch lakers so you wouldnt know.
Again bryan you dont watch the lakers to know why they are 29-7 with lebron averaging 33 minutes per game. Top 5 defensive team in the league higher than clippers were even supposed to be.
Lakers are 20-0 vs teams below .500 and 9-7 vs teams with winning records. Lakers +/- with Lebron and AD off court is pretty bad meaning when they are not on the court, they are getting killed by other teams benches. So Caruso and Howard are not playing ‘Great’ as stated before. They are reliable benches pieces and Howard is playing solid D but they are not holding leads when on court.
So in a 7 game series if lakers are 9-7 Against quality opponents would that mean that would win the series correct? 9 is greater than 7 and yea look at any teams record against top opponents it wouldnt be 20-0 #sitdown
I dont think anyone is saying Lakers are not a very good team. The original comment was they are a lock for the final barring a complete choke job. I wouldnt say they are a lock to beat the Clippers who have already beat them twice. Someone said Lakers blew Dallas out twice, Lakers are 2-1 vs Dallas with one of those wins being an OT victory. Wouldnt call that a blow out. Also, Lebron didnt sit the pine in any of those Dallas games. They are aren’t GS who just looked so much better than everyone, Lakers have two studs and are playing solid D. But the other players having been playing ‘Great’ as someone stated as they haven’t been able to hold a lead of any kind with those two resting.
People really harp on that 9-7 lol. 2 of those games were AD or Lebron rest games. Dallas got them once but the Lakers beat them twice. Both Clipper games could have gone either way. NBA teams dont go 82-0 and the Lakers losses is just indicative of that and the grind of a season.
Reply to this!
The most moronic statement known to man cites when bench is on the court against starters and uses that to directly impact lakers plus and minus. I would hope an nba level teams starter would come back against players like kcp, rondo and dundley. Again team stats dont lie top 5 in all defensive categories and id like to have you list teams in which the bench in better than starters.
Dude, who said bench vs starters? Most teams rest their stars at the same time, last few minutes of 1st quarter, first few minutes of 2nd quarter, and same in the 2nd half. Usually, bench vs bench.
Again defense is underrated trait and is a stat you can pin on one player its a team stat. The entire roster plays evenly with high energy every minute dwight could still average 20 ppg but he doesnt get the minutes or the looks.
Aw, sweetheart, watch a Lakers game. Dwight IS playing great. If you took his averages, including his only 18-20 mins a night and spread it out to 36 minutes a game, he’d be averaging 15,15, 6 offensively, which are GREAT numbers for a Center in today’s game… Not even going to mention the main reason he’s been great. I’ll leave it at that.
Danieley3- Try 13/13/1 with 6 fouls, all leading to fun expressions for what it’s worth. 36′ stats are readily available and the fact you don’t even know that, or ignored it, shows your game knowledge. Very good McGee outplays Howard, 15/13/1 with a 21 PER vs Howard’s 17. Howard is a fine backup, don’t go overboard LAL fan.
For the record, one can tap the player link above and scroll down to “show per 36 minutes” and Bas.Ref. figures it out.
How do they trade Kuz for something substantial? He makes just over $2m, who in the league is something substantial that makes that little? I’ve seen some people same that maybe they can package Quinn Cook and Boogie to get the salary up to $13m and get someone back like Robert Covington but thats basically best case scenario for them.
Picks work too, or players of equally cap requirements i.e. players with team control. Kuzma is playing out of position because of lebron people forget he is a small forward/power forward guarding guards and looks bad because he is out of position. His first season was his best the same as brandon ingram and look at ingram playing his natural position. Kuzma on a different squad is a much better player the fit with lebron doesnt work but that doesnt mean he isnt valuable.
Feared and reliable we’re key words. None of the players you mentioned fit that description in the slightest.
I think he will be “delt” for a bag of chips.
JUST the LeBron and AD Show First of all, every team in the League, aside from 3-4 teams max, would take that in a heartbeat. Second, you act like every good team has this “third option” that’s on an all-star level. Wake up… Third, it’s very clear you don’t watch this team because they’re a legit TEAM. They play for each other, pull for each other. And I’d say what JaVale & Dwight are doing down low, while each getting 18-20 mins a night, MORE than makes up for this lack of a third player, while keeping each other fresh for later in the season. As one, they’re right around 16 points, 15 reb, 6 assists & 4 blocks per game. Add Kuzma, Danny Green, KCP’s best season, while throwing the dawgs Caruso & Avery out there to check any PG with smothering defense… With all that, a 29-7 record, a 4 game lead on the ENTIRE strong Western Conference, a lot of on-court chemistry still to come and the fact that the whole squad knows this team is built for the Playoffs. And guess what happens in the Playoffs? The game slows way down, half court sets take over, and defense is the determining factor.
The teams you listed have no chance of beating the Lakers in a half court game. Tempo slows down and say bye to Dallas, Houston, Utah right away; leaving LAL, LAC & Denver. Denver will get bounced by either LA team without home-court… Lastly, I said if the moment the news broke, the LAC brought in two stars, just like the LAL did. But LAC brought in essentially two of the same exact player, while the LAL went 6’8” PG & 6’11” PF with every skill there is, on both sides of the ball… It’ll be a hell of a series, but I’ll take LAL over LAC mainly because of AD, Dwight & McGee vs Harrell & Zubac…
End of story.
#20BlockedShots
Big facts!!! They mention teams lakers already owned this year and talk they have a chance. This is the same houston with whispers of dealing russell westbroke, the same dallas team that got blown out twice with lebron on the pine???? The same utah that got blown out by 35 you think jordan clarkson makes then a contender???? Lmao lakers hater spouting pure ignorance and im not even a lakers fan.
You don’t need more than that to win in the NBA. If you actually watched the Lakers play the Jazz twice this year they suffocated them. Theres no way Utah can match up in a 7 game series or any west team not named the Clippers for that matter.
Mavs have no chance. Lakers blew them out both games they played and were close in the 3rd game. Lakers blew out utah aswell. Dont see clippers doing much with how well paul george plays in the playoffs. I think houston would play clippers since lakers currently have best record in west.
Lakers blew mavs out in 1, refs gave them the OT game. Just for clarification.
Typical Lakers arrogance thinking they’re a lock for The Finals.
They were supposed to be a lock just to make the playoffs last year after LeBron came to town. How did that work out??
Sure 4 in the west till lebron went down for 30 games. Dont act dumb lol. Same dude who said ad would get injured and miss half the season.
Lakers are like every team 1 injury away from being bounced in the playoffs. GSW were a lock until 2 players got hurt. If leBron or Davis goes down the lakers will not get pass anyone. Lakers has some holes so this year there is not 1 team a lock for the finals.
Delusionally rockets fan dont mind him. Theres a reason rockets havent been a factor since hakeem left. Had mj not stepped away they wouldnt have had those 2 chips either.
It sure as heck won’t be the Rockets hahaha. 2 biggest missing in action postseasom players = Harden and Westbrook.
Lmao good one. Lakers are vastly overrated.
Overrated all the way to the 2nd best record in the NBA so far. OK.
You just said a week ago the Lakers had no chance of winning anything. You gotta calm down man.
Idk why they even did this. Why would he sign for 4 years when he’s eligible for 5 at season’s end?
Why even put this out there for people to critique and criticize AD and the Lakers? Makes 0 sense.
Not going to lie, it would be really funny if he left the Lakers after the media forced “Anthony Davis wants to be a laker” and “ Anthony Davis always wanted to play with Lebrun James” down our throats for almost two years.
He ain’t going no where lol. Just waiting for that 5th year.
Whew throw a fake article out there and the clowns really come out to play-
Lakers fans are pretty bad as stated above (btw I am a Laker fan )
9-7 is good Jmac yikes get back under the rock
Imindless…we dont have any picks my friend…where ya been?
Lock for the finals??…… Probably just a millennial wh0 needs to make outlandish assertive statements instead of just letting the stew cook- Get a grip man how in the world are we a lock for the finals?
Apparently he’s the only one who watches laker games and knows when other people don’t.
Anthony Davis and Derrick Rose to Bulls next season
LOL only if GarPax get canned and replaced with Jesus Christ himself. Maybe.
Shouldn’t the NBA bosses fix that?
Why should a player who is signed by a club that is committed to that club and wants to stay with that club have to wait till he’s an unrestricted free agent to sign his best possible deal?
Not good for the players security and mindset, not good for the teams future planning and just creates noise.
If he’s in the final year on his contract and he’s signed a multiple year contract he should be extension eligible and at that point his current club should be able to offer him the best possible deal then and there.
Player and club can sign and be happy, out that to the side no distractions and keep winning. Or player can decline the max option which signals the intention to leave.
This stupid 142m now or 202 in 5 months bull cake is stupid …
I think the union side wanted players to get to free agency; IDK for sure but that extensions exist at all probably comes from the management side.
Good point but the CBA rules all!