In 2019, the Los Angeles Lakers made the bold move to trade half of its roster to acquire superstar forward Anthony Davis to play alongside fellow superstar LeBron James.
Although the team traded some talented young players to bring in Davis, the move didn’t take long to pay off, with the Lakers winning it all in the NBA bubble.
Unfortunately, the Lakers haven’t had much luck in the injury department since winning the franchise’s 17th NBA title, as James and Davis have struggled to stay healthy over the last few years.
Despite the injury woes that come with Davis, as he’s played 56 games or more only twice since being traded to the Lakers, the team chose to sign him to a three-year extension this summer, with general manager Rob Pelinka speaking his praises on Sunday when the deal became official via Lakers reporter Mike Trudell.
Rob Pelinka: “In our conversations with Anthony, his desire to lead our franchise for the next several years became abundantly clear … It is a proud day for Lakers Nation when we’re able to extend the contract of one of the game’s most dominant two-way players.” https://t.co/TEzEjWKcIL
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) August 6, 2023
Clearly, the Lakers are confident that Davis can help this team in the years to come and are willing to deal with the injuries if they continue to happen moving forward.
Along with Davis being in the fold for the foreseeable future, some believe this deal paves the way for James to retire in a Lakers jersey, which might have been part of the plan when inking the big man to this contract extension.
With the Lakers making all the right moves this summer, it will interesting to see if they can put it all together during the 2023-24 campaign and be a legitimate threat to the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference.
NEXT:
Executive Explains What Anthony Davis’ New Deal Means For LeBron James
