LAS VEGAS — Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers have agreed on a three-year, $186 million contract extension, a person with knowledge of the agreement said Friday.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the deal being finalized. ESPN first reported that the Lakers and Davis struck the deal, citing Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul.
At an average value of $62 million per season, the extension becomes the richest annual agreement in league history, surpassing the average of $60.8 million per season that Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown got last month as part of his 5-year supermax deal worth up to $304 million.
Davis is an eight-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection and was picked to the league’s 75th anniversary team. He is coming off a season in which he averaged 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists on a career-best 56% shooting – numbers that represent one of the best years of his career.
The deal takes effect with the 2024-25 season. Davis will make about $40.6 million this coming season, then he remains under contract through 2027-28.
The Lakers are 117-77 (a .603 winning percentage) in regular-season games in which Davis has played during his four seasons with the club; they’re 53-60 (a .469 winning percentage) in the 113 games that he has missed in that span.
When healthy, he and LeBron James are still one of the most formidable 1-2 punches in the NBA. They led the Lakers to the 2020 NBA title and helped the team reach the Western Conference finals this past season – where they were swept by eventual champion Denver.
“We are trending in the right direction,” Davis said when last season ended. “Obviously, the goal is to win championships, and we wanted to be not just knocking on the door but actually get it done, walk through the door. So that’s our goal. That’s our goal every time we step on the floor for training camp, and I’m 100% sure that will be the goal next year.”
Over his first 11 seasons, Davis has averaged 24 points and 10.4 rebounds. He has scored at least 50 points in a game five times, not counting the 52 points he had in the 2017 All-Star Game – which was a record until Boston’s Jayson Tatum scored 55 in the All-Star Game this past February.
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