Seven months after Anthony Davis‘ trade request from the New Orleans Pelicans, he was traded to his preferred destination: the Los Angeles Lakers.
While Davis will enter 2020 NBA free agency, the Lakers felt confident enough to trade their entire young (except Kyle Kuzma) and draft picks for him.
As the 26-year-old is focused on the 2019-20 NBA season when asked about his upcoming free agency, the Lakers have done their part so far by having the best record in the Western Conference and are a championship contender.
In a not surprising move, Davis reportedly has declined a four-year, $146 million max contract extension, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports:
The Lakers offered their star forward Anthony Davis a four-year, $146 million max extension on Tuesday, but they were informed that he will be bypassing an in-season extension in favor of entering unrestricted free agency in July, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The decision was made out of salary-cap implications and because Davis wants to solely focus on this season, sources said.
By waiting a couple of months, Davis will soon be eligible for a five-year, $202 million contract extension and no one anticipates him leaving the Lakers:
No one within league circles anticipates Davis leaving the Lakers after one season.
Although there are always risks under these circumstances, the Davis trade was a calculated one. For the first time in his career, he realistically has a chance to win a championship with a talented roster he helped put together.
In a time when player power is growing, general manager Rob Pelinka has a good understanding of that as Kobe Bryant‘s former agent. With the first half of the season nearly complete, there is a good working relationship forming.
After LeBron James retires, Davis is viewed as the next face of the NBA and has an opportunity to win multiple championships with one of the greatest sports teams of all time. However, his attention is on the 2020 NBA Finals.