In a modern NBA where “empowerment” and “leverage” have become buzzwords of a league shaped by the strategic positioning of players and their agents, Anthony Davis’ explanation for why he chose to sign a five-year contract with the Lakers seemed almost quaintly plain.
“I just wanted to be here,” the 27-year-old told reporters on Friday morning. “My family wanted to be here. I love this organization.”
Davis’ five-year, $190 million deal might fly in the face of how many of the NBA’s best players operate these days, calculating opt-outs to extract the maximum dollar amounts possible by a dizzying array of CBA guidelines. But his willingness to tether himself to the Lakers halfway through the next decade is a reflection of his priorities: winning, long-term security and overall happiness.
No one doubted Davis wanted to remain in Los Angeles. But a five-year contract in an era when many in-their-prime stars are reluctant to latch themselves to franchises for that long speaks to just how much he wanted to be back.
“I just figured this is the place I want to be,” Davis said. “I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
That was what the Lakers had in mind when they traded for Davis in the summer of 2019, a fortune-changing move that legitimized General Manager Rob Pelinka and aligned the stars for a 2020 championship run in which Davis was a dominant player. His pairing with LeBron James went smoothly, and now with James under contract through 2023, the Lakers can work on making the duo the foundation of a dynasty.
Davis said the bulk of the two-week stretch between the beginning of free agency and signing the deal was filled with frequent meetings with agent Rich Paul, studying the CBA and making predictions about the future of the salary cap. They tried to determine if a two- or three-year deal, when he could then renegotiate for a higher percentage of salary would be in his best interests. Some Lakers fans grew impatient waiting, but Pelinka said he tried to give Davis and Klutch Sports the latitude they needed to make the best deal.
In the end, they went with the contract the Lakers hoped for, which sets up a title-chasing era through 2025.
“We wanted to give him the time he needed to go through all of those things, but obviously, where it netted out … just to me is just such a strong sign of leadership and just such a great showing for our city, for our fans,” Pelinka said. “He’s a pillar in L.A. and I think everybody in this city is embracing his dedication to L.A.”
It should be noted that Davis is no newcomer to NBA power moves. He and Paul helped engineer a trade to the Lakers during the 2018-19 season, and Davis sat out games in part to pressure the New Orleans Pelicans to deal him. It was an eye-opening time for Davis, who became vilified by the franchise that drafted him first overall in 2012.
It’s been a common tactic of Klutch Sports to favor short-term deals with options for franchise stars in a way to maintain leverage on teams to keep them happy and competitive: James did most of his contracts with Cleveland in his second tenure there in that fashion.
The uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic on the league’s finances seemed to be at least one factor that pushed Davis toward a long-term deal. But so was his health: He’s been relatively injury-free the past four seasons, but early on in his career, he struggled to be on the court consistently. Last season, the 6-foot-10 forward/center played 62 of 71 games, but he still seemed conscious that contract security would be a welcome thing if he ever suffers a more serious injury.
“A two-year deal, you kind of bet on yourself – you know, do I get to that?” he said. “God forbid, knock on wood, something happens.”
Davis will turn 28 in March, and while James, 35, was the MVP runner-up last season, the natural expectation is that at some point during their Lakers’ tenure, Davis will eclipse James as the better player. But that’s not saying the Lakers expect James to fall off.
Some outsiders compared the two-year, $85 million extension James signed this week to Kobe Bryant’s contracts as he waned off his prime after an Achilles injury. Pelinka said he anticipated James’ game will age well owing to his tremendous IQ and devotion to his body which has made him one of the game’s most durable players.
The decision to extend James, Pelinka said, was “clear.” The franchise aspires that James’ Lakers era rivals the success of his other chapters in Miami and Cleveland.
“I think what was especially satisfying and exciting about this is now you can see, with the legacy that he’s establishing as a Laker, that his greatness will be defined here,” Pelinka said. “I’m sure he’ll hang many jerseys some day, but we hope one of those will be a Lakers jersey.”In part thanks to a number of roster changes and retaining their stars, the Lakers are the odds-on title favorites as training camp begins. Jared Dudley predicted that Davis will be chasing the MVP award next season, but Davis was more reserved on that front – winning comes first, he said.
“If I go about it the way I’m supposed to and (play) up to my potential, then those things (MVP, DPOY) just happen,” he said. “But the goal is to win another championship. I want to be the leader of our defense. My goal is to be on the floor as much as possible and not get injured.
“Those are the types of things I set goals for myself,” Davis added, “and doing whatever I can do to help the team win.”
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December 05, 2020 at 09:18AM
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Why Anthony Davis committed to the Lakers for five years - OCRegister
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