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Anthony Davis signed a five-year $189.9 million deal with the LA Lakers on December 3, 2020. Davis will earn $40.6 million next season and will have an early termination option (ETO) heading into the 2024-25 season.
In July 2019, the Lakers traded Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and multiple first-round picks and swaps to the New Orleans Pelicans for AD. The move was engineered by the Lakers to pair Davis with four-time MVP LeBron James.
The pairing quickly went to work and brought home the Lakers’ 17th championship in 2020, which tied the Boston Celtics for most in NBA history. Since then, he has struggled with various injuries, which has been a big reason for LA’s hit-and-miss playoff aspirations.
One of the LA Lakers’ barometers for success has unsurprisingly been Anthony Davis’ health. He played 62 games during the 2019-20 season when his team won the championship. He completed 56 games this season and the Lakers reached the Conference finals.
In between those years, the Lakers were booted out of the first round and didn’t make the playoffs in the other. Davis played a combined 76 games during that period.
If he doesn’t exercise his ETO and the Lakers don’t extend him, he will become an unrestricted free agent after the 2023-24 season.
The LA Lakers could rebuild after the Anthony Davis and LeBron James era
The LA Lakers could go into full rebuild mode after the 2023-24 season. Notably, LeBron James has a player option after next season.
Whether the Lakers can win another championship or not, they may rebuild the franchise after the James and Davis era. “King James” will be 40 at that time and is looking at the possibility of playing with his son, Bronny James.
The four-time MVP has also mentioned the possibility of calling it quits after the brutal sweep at the hands of the Denver Nuggets.
Here’s what he had to say in his final presser of the season:
“I got a lot to think about. … Just personally, with me moving forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about.
No one can blame the 19x NBA All-Star for considering all his options. He has given everything to basketball and has nothing left to prove. James has just insisted on his dream of playing with James Jr. before calling it quits.
Unless he declares he is retiring, expect LeBron James to be in uniform and play his final deal with the LA Lakers next season.
Anthony Davis painfully told the media after the loss to the Nuggets that the Lakers are not into moral victories. The sweep will sting but they will use it as fuel for their campaign next season.
It will be after the 2023-24 season that Los Angeles’ future together with the two superstars will be put to the test. Davis and James could go their separate ways once they realize leaving Hollywood may be the best option for them.
