Anthony Davis to opt out of current deal, sign contract with Lakers

In a move that should surprise no one who follows the NBA, Anthony Davis plans to opt out of his current contract with the Lakers and sign a deal that will keep him in Los Angeles, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Since he was traded to the Lakers last year, this has always been the plan for Davis. After all, by opting out, he can give up his $28.7 million player option in favor of any number of longer deals, including a two year, $68,103,360 deal or a three year, $106,084,080 deal. It is widely believed he will choose the latter option, as the third year would likely be a player option so he could once again opt out and sign another large deal if the cap continues to grow.

Obviously, Lakers fans will be relieved once Davis has signed a longer deal, despite the fact that it was all but guaranteed from the beginning. Expectations were high when he joined the team, but Davis managed to surpass those by helping the Lakers win the 2020 championship.

And best of all, Davis appears to be the perfect partner for LeBron James, bringing a level of defensive tenacity and offensive versatility that was a match made in heaven with LeBron's unmatched playmaking abilities. And when LeBron eventually retires (presumably in 3-15 years), Davis is expected to be the foundation on which the team will survive losing the greatest player of this century (and arguably ever).

With Davis' contract seemingly on its way to being sorted out, the Lakers can now focus on making adjustments to the rest of the roster to prepare themselves for defending their title in 2021.