NBA Analyst Boldly Declares Lakers Had Best Offseason

The Lakers are expected to start Russell, Reaves, Hachimura, LeBron James and Anthony Davis next season. Los Angeles got swept by the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Finals. However, it was impressive the Lakers made it that far considering they started the season 2-10.

Davis signed a three-year, $186 million extension with the Lakers this offseason and an NBA executive who spoke with Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports believes Davis’ extension “paves the way” for LeBron to finish his career in Los Angeles. LeBron can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024 if he declines his 2024-25 player option. Davis and LeBron have the same agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group.

“Now, AD can change his mind if LeBron leaves the Lakers down the road and asks for a trade—everyone’s doing that now, right?—but the message to LeBron is that they want him there, and AD signing, that is a message, too,” the NBA exec told Deveney. “It paves the way for these two guys to stay together for the foreseeable.”

Davis is committed to the Lakers for five more years and approximately $270.5 million. Davis’ extension, which kicks in for the 2025-26 season, is the richest extension in NBA history with a projected average annual value of $62 million.

LeBron and Davis are close friends off the court. The two superstars helped the Lakers win the 2020 NBA championship over the Miami Heat in six games at the Walt Disney World bubble. Los Angeles is 95-49 since 2019-20 when LeBron and Davis are in the lineup during the regular season.

“You sign AD to this deal, there is the Klutch connection there, and LeBron has a certain level of responsibility for what Davis does with the Lakers,” the NBA exec told Deveney. “So of course, there is communication there. If LeBron was going to leave, that would change the conversation.”