Does the Anthony Davis extension guarantee LeBron James stays with Lakers?

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers have reached an agreement on a three-year, $186M contract extension. The deal became the richest annual extension in league history, averaging about $62M per year. Davis has a player option in the final year of the deal.

The contract locks up Davis until at least 2027. Meanwhile, his co-star, LeBron James, has two years left on his contract with the Lakers. Like Davis, James has the option to opt out of his contract in the final year, meaning he could be a free agent as soon as next summer.

One NBA executive believes that there is no need to fear an early departure from James. The executive told Heavy.com that Davis' extension "paves the way" for James and Davis to continue playing together for the foreseeable future.

Davis is one of the top players in the NBA when healthy. His presence on the court, as well as his friendship off the court with James, matters to James. Is it really enough to keep James on the Lakers past this upcoming season?

James has openly expressed his desire to play with his eldest son, Bronny James. He has even gone as far to say that he intends to suit up for the team that drafts his son in the next NBA Draft. He later altered that statement, adding that he may also be willing to play against him. 

However, it is no coincidence that his son's draft year perfectly aligns with the offseason in which he becomes a free agent.

Of course, James understands that health comes first. Bronny recently went into cardiac arrest. Although he has recovered and returned home, there is concern about how this could affect his future playing career. 

James Sr. hopes that Bronny will be able to continue playing basketball and make it to the NBA, but he cares more about his son's health and will not let anything jeopardize that.

By next offseason, James will do what is best for him. If that is trying to win another championship, then he will sign with the team that he believes gives him the best chance at a title. If that is playing on the same team as his son, then he will do that. 

Extending Davis certainly makes the Lakers a more appealing place to stay, but it far from guarantees that James, a player who has switched teams three times in his career, continues playing for the Lakers after next season.