Lakers hope Davis opts in for run at back- to- back rings
The most important decision of the offseason will be if the big man wants to stay in Los Angeles.
Lakers star Anthony Davis sat for his postgame interview Sunday with a pair of goggles he had worn from a champagned- f illed NBA championship locker room cocked on his head when the inevitable question about his future with the team was raised.
When asked a two- part question of what this offseason might bring for him, Davis quickly responded: “I don’t know.”
He smiled and shook his head several times before the second part of the question came regarding what the next four or five years of his career might look like now that he has won his f irst NBA championship.
“Um, the f irst question, I have no idea,” Davis said about possibly becoming a free agent this different- looking offseason because of the COVID- 19 pandemic season that just concluded with the Lakers defeating the Miami Heat in six games of the NBA Finals near Orlando, Fla.
“The second part. Um, it’s just part of your legacy. To say you’re a champion, not everybody can say that. The next four or f ive years, you just have to get better and better, keep improving my game and hopefully I can have this feeling again.”
Davis has a number of options this offseason, when he can become a free agent if he opts out of his contract, worth $ 28.8 million, for next season.
Most NBA executives, who are not authorized to speak publicly on Davis’ situation, believe the seventime All- Star forward’s best course is to opt out and sign a two- year deal with a player option for the second season.
If he did that, Davis would become a free agent the same time as LeBron James following the 202122 season.
James will earn $ 39 million next season and could earn $ 41 million in 2021- 22 — although he does have a player option for that f inal season. He also could be eligible for a contract extension once next season starts, but James is not expected to sign one.
Davis also has the option of signing a f ive- year extension if he opts out. That contract could start at about $ 40 million per season, but not knowing where the salary cap will be set because of the f inancial impacts of the pandemic probably means he would not sign a longterm deal.
“I had a great time in L. A. this year,” Davis said, eventually making a reference to his agent, Rich Paul. “This has been nothing but joy, nothing but amazement. Over the next couple of months, we’ll figure it out. I mean, I’m not 100% sure, but that’s why my agent is who he is, and we’ll discuss it and figure it out.”
Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ vice president of basketball operations and general manager, and Kurt Rambis, the team’s senior basketball advisor, have some work to do to help L. A. push forward for backto- back championships.
Some players on the roster hold options like Davis, while some who helped them win a championship become free agents.
Center Dwight Howard, who was signed as a free agent last summer when DeMarcus Cousins was injured while training, had a strong season for the Lakers, but he will become a free agent.
Forward Markieff Morris, who signed during the season after getting a buyout from the Detroit Pistons, also is a free agent, as are forward Jared Dudley and guards JR Smith and Dion Waiters.
Guards Kentavious CaldwellPope ($ 8.4 million), Avery Bradley ($ 5 million) and Rajon Rondo ($ 2.6 million) along with center JaVale McGee ($ 4.2 million) can opt out of their contracts.
Under contract for next season are guards Alex Caruso, Quinn Cook, Danny Green and Talen Horton- Tucker.
The Lakers can also look to improve their team through the draft with their first- round pick, the 28th overall selection.