Lakers News: Insider Sees New Anthony Davis Agreement As Mutually Beneficial
Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis signed the largest contract in NBA history on Friday afternoon when he quickly agreed to a maximum three-year, $186 million extension, good for an average of $62 million per season.
The reaction around the deal has been somewhat mixed, with most realizing that the Lakers had to lock up their All-Star -- price be damned -- but others opining that the deal has plenty of risk attached to it, given Davis' extensive injury history.
Ultimately, I fall in the camp that the deal was necessary, given the ever-shortening Lakers career of future Hall of Famer LeBron James, but it is risky given Davis' difficulties staying healthy.
When not taking injuries into consideration though, Davis is one of the best big men in the NBA, behind only Denver Nuggets two-time MVP Nikola Jokic. Davis is also coming off arguably the best season of his career, averaging roughly 26 points and 13 rebounds per game last year.
Mark Medina of The Sporting Tribune seems to agree with me, arguing that the NBA's biggest contract benefits both parties.
"Just as when he agreed to a five-year deal following the Lakers’ 2020 NBA title run, Davis saw the value with seeking additional security to protect himself from further injuries than by waiting until the best possible contract became available. Meanwhile, the Lakers maximize future flexibility for two possible scenarios.
If Davis successfully builds off of last season and helps the Lakers contend for a championship, they will have had made a wise investment with securing Davis on a relatively less expensive contract. If Davis underperforms or suffers a major injury, the Lakers could eventually deal with the difficult decision with breaking up the current roster and start rebuilding." (via Mark Medina)
Davis' health will go a long way toward determining whether the megadeal was worth it or not. But for now, both sides have the security they were looking for.
Now it's just a question of if the Lakers will receive big return for the heftiest investment in league history.
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