Anthony Davis, Lakers agree to NBA's richest annual contract extension

Anthony Davis is about to get paid. A lot. Again. The former Kentucky star agreed to a three-year, $186 million maximum contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Combined with the two years and $84 million left on his current contract, Davis’ deal is worth $270 million and will keep him in LA through 2028. At an average of $62 million per season, it’s the richest annual contract extension in NBA history.

Davis joined the Lakers via a blockbuster trade with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019, and in his first season helped them win an NBA title. After losing in the first round of the playoffs in 2021 and missing the playoffs altogether in 2022, the Lakers made it out of the play-in tournament and advanced to the Western Conference finals this past season before losing to the eventual NBA Champion Denver Nuggets.

Last season, Davis averaged 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. It was his fifth season averaging 25 points and 2 blocks, the third-highest total behind only Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Davis is a four-time NBA All-Star and led the league in blocks in three different seasons (2014, 2015, and 2018). Unfortunately, the 30-year-old’s health has also been a storyline. Over the past four seasons, he’s played in 194 of a possible 307 games due to injuries.

At Kentucky, Davis helped lead the Cats to the program’s eighth national title, winning National Player of the Year and Final Four Most Outstanding Player honors in the process. He started all 40 games, leading Kentucky in scoring (14.2 points) and rebounding (10.4), and breaking the single-season blocks record with 186 blocks. But, of course, as John Calipari will remind you, he only took the fourth most shots.

Stay healthy and get another ring, AD.