Anthony Davis signs staggering $62,000,000 annual extension with Lakers following dominant playoff run

The LA Lakers and Anthony Davis have worked out a new contract before the 2023-24 NBA season begins. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday that the All-Star big man has agreed to a three-year, $186 million extension.

AD gets extension with Lakers

Injuries have derailed Anthony Davis' tenure with the Lakers at times. But when he is on the court, he is one of the NBA's top big men. On top of that, Davis played a crucial role in LA winning a title in 2020.

At 30 years old, Davis is still playing at his peak. In 56 games last season, the former No. 1 pick averaged 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.

With this extension, the Lakers are comitting to Davis as the pillar of the franchise. He is now under team control through the 2028 season.

Did the Lakers make the right move to extend Anthony Davis?

The LA Lakers made the right decision to extend Anthony Davis, but this move could come back to bite them. It is a big gamble paying an injury-prone star such a massive amount.

Looking at his Lakers' tenure, Davis has struggled to stay on the floor consistently. Over a span of four seasons, he's played in less than 200 regular season games. Between 2021 and 2022, Davis only suited up a total of 76 times.

At roughly $62 million a season, the Lakers are taking a big gamble with this Davis extension. Things could get even trickier if LeBron James decides to depart when his contract is up. This would leave him as the lone star on the NBA's most historic franchises.

While the contract comes with its risks, the Lakers' front office didn't have much of a choice. Massive salaries are the standard now for star-level players. As one of their top guys on their championship team, Davis earned this deal.

Things might get dicy down the road, but LA is focused on right now. Fresh off reaching the Western Conference finals this season, the Lakers will be looking to contend in 2023-24. With Davis' contract out of the way, there won't be any distractions in the process of achieving this goal.