Los Angeles Lakers agree terms with Anthony Davis on 3-year US$186m deal: report
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Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis is set to earn US$270 million over the next five seasons.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LOS ANGELES – National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star forward Anthony Davis has agreed terms on a three-year maximum contract extension worth US$186 million (S$249 million), a deal with the league’s richest-ever annual extension at US$62 million, ESPN reported on Friday.
Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry is currently the highest-paid annually. He will earn US$51.9 million in the 2023-24 season.
When completed, the agreement would link Davis, 30, to the Lakers until 2028 at a cost of US$270 million, according to his agent Rich Paul. In other words, he will earn a total of US$270 million over the next five seasons.
He is owed US$40.6 million for the upcoming season and US$43.2 million for 2024-25.
The forward helped the Lakers win the 2020 championship alongside four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James. He was also a key factor in their run to last season’s Western Conference Finals, where they were swept by eventual champions the Denver Nuggets.
Davis averaged 25.9 points, a career-high 12.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.0 blocked shots and 1.1 steals a game last term while shooting a career-best 56 per cent from the floor in his fourth campaign since joining from the New Orleans Pelicans.
He was the No. 1 overall pick by New Orleans in the 2012 NBA Draft. In 660 career games (653 starts) with the Pelicans (2012-2019) and the Lakers, Davis has averages of 24.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
He became eligible for the maximum extension on Friday and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka wasted no time in securing the 2.08m star for another five seasons despite his lack of durability.
Davis, a four-time All-NBA first team and two-time All-Defensive first-team selection, has never played a full season with the Lakers, slowed by a variety of injuries. The 62 games he played in 2019-20 are his Los Angeles high.
Some may feel such an extension is risky because of how injury-prone the player is. But Paul believes that his client is still worth every penny.
“They understand AD and his work ethic has shown,” he told Sportskeeda on Friday. “He has some injuries, but it wasn’t due to him not working. It’s not like he came into camp overweight or showed any laziness. There were just fluke things. That happens in the game.”
Davis’ new deal also gives him the chance to unite with 38-year-old playmaker James, who has confirmed he will be returning for his 21st season, and a strong supporting cast – D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura have re-signed new contracts – to bring another crown to the Lakers, who share the all-time NBA record of 17 titles with Boston. AFP, REUTERS
