Oct 6, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) celebrates after making a three pointer during the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat in game 4 of the 2020 NBA Finals at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Lakers star Anthony Davis declined his $28.7 million player option and is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
Anthony Davis is now on his way to becoming an unrestricted free agent.
The Lakers forward and newly-minted NBA champion officially declined his player option of $28.7 million, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports.
Should Lakers fans be quaking in their boots and opposing teams rubbing their hands together? Not so fast.
Anthony Davis declined his player option but is still likely to re-sign
Even though Davis will be able to test the free-agent market, he just won an NBA title with Lebron James and the Lakers. It would be a pretty huge swing for him to turn around and start over somewhere else.
Declining his player option means he will be able to pursue a max contract. Basically, Davis is about to get paid, big.
The biggest question is how long he’ll decide to sign for. He could go short term and leave his options open depending on how long James stays in Los Angeles. Or he could lock in for five years and ensure he’ll be the big man for the Lakers in the next era.
Of course, this is NBA free agency. Anything could happen. Certainly stranger things than Davis jumping ship for another opportunity outside of the shadow of James and LA have materialized in the past.
Suffice it to say the Lakers have every reason to give Davis what he wants. Letting him walk would be seen as a massive letdown after he averaged 26.1 points per game while extending his All-Star streak with a seventh appearance. He was critical to the team’s playoff run, partnering with James to deliver LA their first title in a decade.
At 27 years old, there is plenty more to come for Davis too.