Anthony Davis Reportedly Turned Down Max Contract Extension From Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers decided to offer their star forward Anthony Davis a four-year, $146 million max contract extension on Tuesday. However, Davis bypassed the in-season extension. It looks like Davis wanted to see what will happen when he hits the free agency market in July. The decision was made out of salary-cap implications. The superstar is interested in this season, and he doesn’t really think a lot of the days beyond July.

The former Pelican holds a $28.7 million player option for the 2020-21 season that he will probably decline in order to make the market as confirmed by sources. His agent, Rich Paul, brought the news to the front office following the Lakers shootaround in preparation for Tuesday’s game against the New York Knicks.

This doesn’t mean that Davis will leave the Lakers in July. He waived his no-trade clause to seal the blockbuster deal that brought him on the same floor with LeBron James. This move restricted Davis from signing a contract extension for six months. The restriction period ended on Jan. 7.

Davis has the chance to see a five-year, $202 million max contract extension in July. He is an early candidate for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and has helped the Los Angeles Lakers make a 29-7 start. The Lakers sit at the top of the conference at the moment. Davis helped the team win games, and his skills sure helped LeBron turn the Lakers into contenders. Davis’ contract situation is clear now, and the only thing he shall discuss is the current situation of the team and their chance to win a title.

At the moment, Davis is averaging 27.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.6 blocks per game.

Things look really good for the Lakers at the moment, but they have to think of the future. Davis and LeBron make the perfect duo, and seeing him leave the team is the least expected scenario. However, the latest development of events doesn’t really give us much hope. Let’s see what happens in the next few months. They need to win a title first.