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The Los Angeles Lakers rejoiced when they recently agreed with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on new deals. James' two-year extension takes his contract through 2023, while Davis surprisingly signed a five-year deal as part of a lucrative long-term commitment.
Having both stars locked in for the foreseeable future gives the Lakers additional chances beyond this season to compete for more titles. In a Zoom call with reporters on Monday, James talked about his “great partnership” with Davis and what it means for the future.
Via SB Nation's Harrison Faigen:
“It means that we're here and we're committed to this franchise. We're going to give everything we got.
There was never a doubt in Davis' desire to re-sign with the Lakers in free agency, but the detailing of his contract is what caused a holdup. It was heavily speculated for a while that Davis would elect to sign a three-year deal with a third-year player option, giving him the ultimate flexibility with his coming years. Instead, Davis put all his faith in the Lakers by deciding to sign the five-year, $190 million max extension.
For James, his two-year extension gives him the opportunity to hit free agency right as his son, Bronny, is graduating high school. If the one-and-done rule is done away with and high school graduates can go straight to the NBA again, perhaps LeBron and Bronny try to team up. LeBron even teased this possibility:
LeBron mentions that his Laker contract runs through the year his son graduates high school, which he said will give him an opportunity to evaluate his options and priorities in 2023.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) December 7, 2020
LeBron will be 38 at the time his deal expires, which means he won't possess the same high motor that he has played with all these memorable years. Still, playing at the same time as Bronny would be an incredible accomplishment.
There were also some rumblings about the Lakers potentially chasing Giannis Antetokounmpo next summer if he declines his supermax, but that's more unlikely now.
