First of all, Anthony Davis is fully expected to sign an extension with the Los Angeles Lakers in the coming offseason. The only reason why he declined an extension earlier in the season is because he's trying to maximize the amount of money he's expected to earn over the next few years — something that he will also do once he enters contract negotiations again with the Lakers this offseason.
Technically, though, Davis will be entering free agency. His current deal stipulates that he has a player option for the 2020-21 season, which means that he could very well walk away from LA if he wishes. In the unlikely event that this happens, there will be more than a few teams that will be waiting in the wings.
Below are five possible destinations for Anthony Davis if he opts to part ways with the Lakers.
Detroit Pistons
Davis' current deal will allow him to pocket $28.8 million for next season, and you can be sure that he will be expecting at least the same amount — if not more — from any potential deal. This narrows the playing field for him, with only a handful of teams with enough cap space to sign Davis on what is fully expected to be a max deal.
One of those teams are the Detroit Pistons. A pairing with Blake Griffin — if he can remain healthy — could be an attractive option for Anthony Davis. If the Pistons are somehow able to keep Derrick Rose, then this trio is something that could emerge as a (very) dark horse for the 2021 title.
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are expected to have the most amount of cap space in the upcoming offseason. As such, they would certainly be one of the teams that will be going all in on Davis should he become available.
Trae Young is one of the most promising young stars in the NBA today, and alongside the likes of John Collins, De'Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish, and Kevin Huerter, Atlanta has arguably the best young core in the league. This should be more than enough impetus for Davis to sign with the Hawks if he's looking to be the centerpiece of a young and up-and-coming squad.
New York Knicks
The New York Knicks' fall from grace over the past few years have been nothing short of epic — for all the wrong reasons, of course. This culminated in their absolute failure in the 2019 offseason. The man that might just bring them back to glory is Anthony Davis. The addition of the All-Star big man will instantly change the fate of this seemingly doomed franchise, and propel them into a playoff contender in a wide open Eastern Conference.
For Davis, the only motivation he needs is the fact that the Knicks still remain to be the biggest franchise in the NBA today. They may have been stuck in a rut for a few years, but the fact still remains that Knicks will always be the Knicks (we mean this in a good way). Playing in Madison Square Garden night in and night out isn't too bad of a deal as well. The fact that Davis earlier admitted that the Knicks were one of his preferred teams prior to the Lakers trade proves that he is also thinking along these lines.
Chicago Bulls
Signing with the Chicago Bulls will be a sentimental homecoming for Davis, who himself is a Chicago native. He has already spoken out previously about joining the Bulls, and with Chicago possessing the ability to clear enough cap room to sign him, this might just be a match made in heaven.
Similar to the Knicks, however, Davis will pretty much be on his own in Chicago, with the likes of Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, and an oft-injured Otto Porter Jr. serving as the only other semi-stars on his team. Even with Davis in the mix, the Bulls are not going to be considered as title contenders.
Miami Heat
Lastly, we have the Miami Heat. At the moment, this team will need to do a significant amount of maneuvering with regards to their cap room in order to bring Davis on board. However, with Pat Riley at the helm, we can never count out the Heat. After all, they did shock the basketball world last summer when they somehow acquired Jimmy Butler during the summer, so what's stopping them from doing something similar, if not even bigger this offseason.
Of all the teams listed here, the Heat provides Davis with the best chances of competing for a championship as soon as the 2020-21 season. A trio of Davis, Jimmy Butler, and Bam Adebayo may not be as awesome as the back-to-back title-winning Miami Big 3 some years ago, but you still cannot count out this potential trio as a legitimate contender for the title next season.
Follow Us
Subscribe