FSM Breaking News: The Los Angeles Lakers re-sign Anthony Davis

FSM Breaking News: The Los Angeles Lakers re-sign Anthony Davis

Franchise Sports Media

 

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis re-signs with the team on a maximum extension

Superstar forward/center Anthony Davis re-signs with the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers re-signed their superstar big man Anthony Davis to a three-year $186 million max extension, tying him to their franchise through the 2028 NBA season for a total of $270 million-plus. Davis lands himself the richest extension in NBA history, averaging $62 million per year.

Davis will make $40.6 Million during the 2024 NBA season. However, by the 2028 season, Davis’ income will spike up to $66.8 Million.

Davis had two years and $84 million left on his contract. However, he became eligible to re-sign on Friday. Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and Rich Paul moved quickly to complete a deal.

Davis, now 30 years old, arrived in 2019 via a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. Davis was a key factor in delivering a 2020 NBA championship to Los Angeles. Last season he averaged 25.9 points, a career-high 12.5 rebounds, and two blocks a game for the Lakers while also shooting a career-high 56 percent from the field.

Davis is a four-time All-NBA first-team member. He averaged 25 points and two blocks in a season five times in his career, the third-highest total behind only Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Anthony Davis has a solid 2023 campaign

During the 2023 NBA playoffs, Davis became the third player in Laker franchise history with 50 blocks in a single postseason, behind only O’Neal and Abdul-Jabbar.

Anthony Davis excelled in 2020

Last season, Davis was the main presence in the paint. Rejecting and altering shots at will, Davis was a force to be reckoned with. However, with the additions that the Lakers made this offseason, the load could be lightened for Davis.

Take Jaxson Hayes, for example, who signed a two-year contract with the Lakers, who has the rumor mill churning over the possibility of Hayes starting alongside Davis, mirroring the 2020 campaign, where Los Angeles had the talents of Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee.

Davis arguably had his best year as a Laker in 2020, averaging the third-highest scoring total of his career (26.1 points), second-highest assist total (3.2 assists) while shooting his third-highest 3-point percentage (33 percent), and the best free throw percentage of his career (84.6 percent).

He only averaged 9.3 rebounds that year, marking his third-lowest average ever. However, the Lakers also had LeBron James and Howard averaging over seven rebounds a game, along with McGee averaging 5.7 boards a night.

Jaxson Hayes could be a huge help to Anthony Davis

Davis averaged 2.3 blocks per game, while Howard and McGee combined to average 2.5 blocks a game.

The Lakers should look to sign another big to aid Anthony Davis

Per at least 60 games played during the 2020 NBA season, McGee led the Lakers in defensive rating, with Davis and Howard following behind, respectively.

By that same metric, Howard led Los Angeles in offensive rating, with McGee and Davis trailing, respectively.

Los Angeles found massive success that year with this trio, finishing first in the Western Conference, not to mention winning the NBA championship.

Hayes isn’t Howard or McGee, as both were grizzled veterans during the 2020 campaign, and Hayes is entering his fifth year in the league at just 23 years old.

He hasn’t been able to get the ball rolling on his career just yet, averaging 7.5 points, four rebounds, and just 0.7 blocks in four years. However, Hayes has a ton of raw potential, mostly stacked with incredible athleticism. Reminiscent of a young McGee, Hayes stands at 6-foot-11 and can jump out of the building.

Hayes is at least a worthy substitution for Davis whenever the latter needs a breather. Colin Castleton is the only other center on the roster on a two-way contract, but Castleton is just a rookie who isn’t expected to be a rotational player.

Anthony Davis is slated to be the cornerstone of the franchise for the foreseeable future

Los Angeles does have one final roster spot that they can use, and it’d be best for them to aim for their 2020 success by pairing another solid center alongside Davis.

 

– Jake Ideguchi-Furukawa – Franchise Sports Media

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