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Almost exactly a year ago, the Los Angeles Lakers swung a blockbuster trade to acquire Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Davis got exactly what he wanted: the chance to compete for a championship in a large market conducive to great business opportunities off the court.
Not only that, but Davis joined his friend and fellow Klutch Sports client, LeBron James.
But here is the thing: Davis would not commit to the Lakers long term. He didn't sign a contract extension on the spot, meaning he will still be a free agent this offseason (assuming he opts out of his contract, which he will). Not only that, but Davis has even been Kyrie Irving-esque in his responses when asked about free agency. Heck, he openly mentioned the Chicago Bulls as a possibility.
Of course, just because Davis has been non-committal does not mean he will be leaving Los Angeles this fall (usually the summer, but circumstances have obviously changed). For one, not signing an extension ensures that he gets the most money he possibly could with the Lakers. But he could also very well be keeping his options open like any smart business person would.
At the same time, James turns 36 years old next December, so there is also the possibility that Davis is thinking about just how much longer LeBron will be LeBron. James may still be a top two or three player in the NBA, at worst, but he is human, and at some point, the wheels are going to fall off.
That begs the question: do the Lakers need to win a championship this year to convince Davis to stay?
My initial answer is no. After all, Los Angeles was at the top of Davis' wish list last year, so much so that he essentially refused to go to the Boston Celtics. And again, as far as marketability is concerned, you can't get better than LA.
Would Davis really bolt Hollywood for the Windy City? Would he seriously consider going to the perennially inept New York Knicks? Are there any sleeper teams we aren't thinking of?
It just seems unrealistic. Yes, Davis grew up in Chicago, but the Bulls are very far off from being a contending team. Plus, they probably won't even have the cap space to even sign Davis this offseason.
The Knicks? Come on.
If Gordon Hayward opts out of his contract, the Celtics could suddenly jump into the running again, and they are certainly a much more attractive option now than they were a year ago, but it just seems like Davis is opposed to the idea of Boston in general.
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It is difficult to envision a scenario where Davis leaves Tinseltown, even if the Lakers fail to win a title this season.
We do need to consider all of the different angles here, though.
While most other contending teams have a lot of room to grow moving forward, the Lakers are pretty locked in to the next couple of years. They sacrificed most of their young talent in the Davis trade, and to be perfectly honest, it's becoming increasingly obvious that they probably should have held on to Brandon Ingram instead of Kyle Kuzma.
Los Angeles' core is made up of Davis and a bunch of older players, ranging from James to Danny Green to Rajon Rondo to Avery Bradley to Dwight Howard. Five years from now, most of those guys will either be retired or just cooked.
That could be weighing on Davis' mind, as he is just 27 years old and is just hitting his prime. He has another decade of basketball ahead of him, so he may need to seriously consider the best options for his future.
Let's say the Lakers lose to the Los Angeles Clippers in the playoffs and look genuinely outclassed. Does Davis start to wonder if the Lakers' window has already closed? It's not like the Lakers have a ton of flexibility to add more elite talent. They are pretty much stuck with what they have. Yes, they'll be able to add some ring chasers with the veteran's minimum, but that's about it.
So if the Lakers lose to the Clippers and it seems apparent that the Clips are fairly far ahead with the younger duo of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, it may make Davis think.
But like I said earlier: Davis would then need to find a better option. The Bulls aren't it. Neither are the Knicks. The Celtics honestly would be a great fit if Hayward ops out, but again, Davis and Rich Paul seem allergic to Beantown.
The Lakers probably don't need to hang another banner to sell Davis on a long-term deal. But this is the modern NBA, and we can never rule out the unexpected.
