Anthony Davis signing a contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers was something of a foregone conclusion, but there was a whole lot of intrigue over the length of the deal. Davis ultimately opted to go with long-term security over short-term flexibility, agreeing to a five-year extension to stay with the Lakers.
It was an interesting move, both because of how many options were on the table and because his superstar teammate, LeBron James, is famous for taking short deals so he could be in total control of his next move. But ultimately, Davis went with five years, and on Friday, he explained his decision, citing previous injuries as a major reason why he opted for something longer.
“That could have been a two-year, three-year deal,” Davis said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “[But] I have to think about, also, the reality of things, too. I do have a little history with injuries, and a two-year deal, you kind of bet on yourself. … God forbid, knock on wood, something happens.”
Davis went on to say that “I want to secure the most amount of years possible and be here long term with this team, so I thought the five-year deal was best for me in my situation.” Of course, giving anyone $190 million is going to be hard for them to turn down, but Davis has, of course, battled plenty of little knocks over the course of his career — watching many Lakers games oftentimes includes him taking a stroll into the locker room to get something quickly looked at. And as McMenamin noted, he has missed some time in his career, suiting up in 62 of 71 games last regular season and playing in 466 of the 574 games the Pelicans played during his tenure in New Orleans.
Davis was not the only Lakers’ tentpole to get paid this week, as James agreed to a two-year extension with the franchise prior to the big man’s decision.
