Report: Lakers ready to make big Anthony Davis contract move

Anthony Davis has faced questions about his durability and impact with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the organization is ready to commit to him for even longer.

The Lakers have “strong interest” in working out a contract extension with Davis, according to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. Davis and the Lakers can officially begin negotiations on such a deal as of Friday, and the organization is ready to offer him a full three-year extension.

Davis has two years and roughly $84M remaining on his current contract, though he has the right to opt out of the deal after the 2023-24 season. The Lakers would be able to offer him a new deal worth roughly $169M over three years, which would tie him to the franchise through the 2027-28 campaign.

There are reasonable questions about Davis, who turned 30 in March and has only played in 132 regular season games over the last three seasons. That has led to some harsh takes about his durability, albeit valid ones. Despite that, he is a defensive force when healthy, and he averaged 25.9 points and 12.5 rebounds per game last season. Those contributions cannot be replaced, so it is no wonder the Lakers want to get this done as quickly as possible.