Lakers power forward Anthony Davis has become eligible for a contract extension after signing a five-year, maximum-salary contract in December 2020, as relayed by ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Normally, players who sign five-year contracts have to wait three full calendar years before becoming eligible for an extension. But the COVID pandemic caused schedule irregularities in the 2020 offseason, offering Davis a contract loophole, making him eligible for an extension now.
As it stands, Davis has two years left on his current deal, at $40.6 million next season, with an early termination option of $43.2 million for 2024-25.
He will have a day before the regular season in October to agree to an extension this year. If he doesn’t agree to one by then, he and the Lakers will have to wait until next summer. Should that turn out to be the case, Davis could either opt into the final year of his current contract and extend that deal, or opt out and become a free agent.
The concern with Davis, of course, is his ability to stay on the court — having battled injuries for much of the last three seasons. But when healthy, he remains one of the league’s top two-way players.
Davis, 30, averaged 25.9 points and 12.5 rebounds, shooting 56 percent from the field, in 56 regular-season games last season.
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