- Anthony Davis is the sort of two-way player the Los Angeles Lakers had to keep at any cost
- The superstar lets them compete immediately
- Retaining Anthony Davis is also smart for the long-term
Big man Anthony Davis was a key part of the Los Angeles Lakers winning a championship during the 2020 season. The big man is clearly an impactful player, and the team clearly recognizes that.
A recent report revealed that Anthony Davis has signed a three-year, $186 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. Though some people think that an injury-prone big man isn’t worth it, the Lakers were actually smart to lock him in for the long term. Here is why the extension made sense from the team’s perspective.
3. Anthony Davis Provides An Impact On Both Ends Of The Floor
Anthony Davis had an elite season from a box score perspective for the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 56 games played. If the big man played more games, he would have been an easy All-NBA selection on the basis of what he does on the court.
At this point in time, it is fair to say that Anthony Davis is one of the best defensive players in the league. His mere presence can frequently deter opposing players from driving toward the rim, and his 2.0 blocks per game don’t do him justice in terms of how good he is as a rim protector. On top of his ability to block shots, he is a capable multi-positional defender, and can often switch onto smaller players effectively. His defensive ability frequently allows the Lakers’ perimeter defenders to play more aggressively, knowing Davis is behind them.
Offensively, Anthony Davis is extremely versatile. He is dominant near the rim, and Davis shot 76.2% in the restricted area during the regular season. Though he was inefficient from midrange in the regular season (40.6%), it is clear that Davis can still be effective from that area, as he shot 47.7% from midrange in the playoffs. He isn’t necessarily the best 3PT shooter but is known for making them when necessary.
Overall, when Anthony Davis is on the court, the two-way impact that he provides is worth every dollar. Davis is the sort of player one retains by any means necessary, even with the injury issues.
2. The Superstar Allows Them To Compete In The LeBron James Timeline
The Los Angeles Lakers have already won a title with the LeBron James and Anthony Davis duo, and they can win another one so long as James is playing at a superstar level. They made the Western Conference Finals in the 2023 playoffs, and with an offseason to develop chemistry and gel with the other players on their roster, they can get even further.
LeBron James is 38 as of right now, and it would have been unwise for the Los Angeles Lakers to try and trade Anthony Davis while James is still on the roster. James is no longer the sort of player that can bring any sort of team to the Finals like he was in his prime, and pairing him with a player that we know he can work with is the safest choice.
Even if the Los Angeles Lakers were to get a good return for Anthony Davis, there is no guarantee that the players they got would do well with LeBron James. We have seen a poor-fitting player in Russell Westbrook derail the team in the past, and it makes sense for the team to prioritize fit.
The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t the type of team that is willing to build a young core and wait to develop players. They have been known for one thing throughout their franchise’s history: attracting stars and making sure that those stars won championships with the franchise.
Trading Anthony Davis for picks and role players would have been the opposite of what the team’s culture is about, and the team clearly wants to win a championship every season. Keeping Anthony Davis and LeBron James together is the best way for the team to make it happen in the short term, and that is exactly what they did.
1. The Los Angeles Lakers Can Build Around Anthony Davis Once LeBron James Retires
This part is crucial: Anthony Davis is signed with the team through the 2027-28 season, and he is likely the player that the team will build around once LeBron James starts declining or retires.
Though the priority for the team is obviously to win immediately, they have also been looking towards the future. In free agency, they retained Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura on long-term deals, and while those players can help them win a championship next year, they are also good enough to be part of the next version of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Keeping Anthony Davis long-term is a smart play, as he is only 30 years old as of right now. He can continue playing at an All-NBA level for quite some time and still has a few seasons left in his prime.
Eventually, Davis will end up becoming the No. 1 option for the team: with LeBron James entering the twilight of his career that is only a matter of time. We have seen him be a No. 1 option with the New Orleans Pelicans, and while he didn’t have much team success, they also never put an elite team around him. On the Los Angeles Lakers, however, he would have the infrastructure and front office support to find success at the highest level.
Of course, Anthony Davis also has to show that he has the mentality to be the No. 1 option for the team to build around him. We have seen traces of that already: he averaged 27.5 points, 14.2 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in 20 games without LeBron James in the lineup during the 2022-23 season. Those are MVP-level numbers, and if the Lakers could bring that version of him out more consistently, then there is no doubt that he is an MVP-level player that can lead the team to a championship in the future.
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