The Los Angeles Lakers made a few big money moves during the 2023 offseason in an attempt to maximize the remaining high-level years of LeBron James' career. In addition to re-signing Austin Reaves to a four-year, $56 million deal, the Lakers brought back D'Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura on huge deals, while adding Gabe Vincent (among others). But there may not have been a more important deal for the Lakers to have sealed than Anthony Davis' extension.

Just a few days ago, the Lakers came to terms with Davis on a three-year, $186 million deal that would keep the star big man in town for the long haul. However, there were some critics who thought that an average annual value of $62 million is too big of a price to pay for a big man who has history of struggling to remain healthy.

Nevertheless, Austin Reaves asserted that giving Anthony Davis that kind of financial security was the best thing the Lakers could have done given how incredible of a player AD is on both ends of the floor.

“Sign it! You got to, he’s Anthony Davis. […] He’s got incredible IQ to the game. He’s a joy to play with and a joy to be around, so as long as I can be around him for my career, the better I’ll be for it,” Reaves said, per Sam Yip of HoopsHype.

Anthony Davis, indeed, has incredible basketball IQ, particularly on defense. Not only does he have the tools to be one of the most rim protectors and disruptors in the league, he also has incredible timing, positioning, and overall feel for the game on that end of the court.

Moreover, when he's attacking the rim on offense, the Lakers benefit immensely. As seen in their run to the championship in 2020, the Lakers put an incredible amount of pressure on the rim whenever Davis and LeBron James decide to play aggressively.

The thing is that fans seem to have the memory of a goldfish when it comes to Davis' greatness. Davis struggled with a bit of inconsistency in 2023, particularly in the playoffs, and he's always a risk to miss around 20 games in a single season.

“People out there doubt him sometimes but he’s arguably one of the most skilled players in the league,” Reaves added.