With the NBA free agency period well into its fourth day, Lakers superstar Anthony Davis has yet to commit to a new deal.
Fresh off a title victory, nobody has any doubt that he will return to LA — the question now, however, is for how long he will set the terms of his new deal. With a past riddled by injury, inking a bigger deal might be best if he’s worried about his long-term security.
But, in a report by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the future of Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee might inspire him to sign a shorter-term contract as part of a plan to recruit him to the Lakers…
Anthony Davis could be waiting to see how Giannis approaches his supermax extension, and Davis could decide to sign a 1+1 deal, which would give the Lakers room to pursue Giannis next summer, via @WindhorstESPN on ESPN.
Oh my… 🤯
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 23, 2020
Windhorst suspects AD is taking his time to decide what contract he chooses is because of Giannis. If Giannis doesn’t sign supermax he thinks AD will sign a 1+1, both him and Lebron will opt out next offseaon and recruit Giannis to the Lakers
— Ralph Mason (@Ralph_MasonJr) November 23, 2020
If Giannis signs a supermax extension in the next few days, then we”ll likely see Davis follow-up by agreeing to a long-term max deal himself. Even without Giannis, the lakers are more than capable of staying competitive in the Western Conference.
If the Bucks star holds off on an extension this offseason, it will open him up to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2021, and the Lakers would like to be among the many teams lined up for his services.
As a 2x MVP, reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and 4x All-Star, it’d be foolish to not at least give it a shot. A trio of Giannis, LeBron, and AD would be pretty tough, and the combined talents of Davis and Antetokounmpo could keep LA atop the West long after James retires from the game.
Unfortunately, nobody knows what “The Greek Freak” has planned for his future, so it’s more of a waiting game now than anything else, and one that the Lakers are happy to play.
