The Los Angeles Lakers have a huge decision to make in the weeks ahead as they contemplate Anthony Davis' future with the franchise.
Davis is entering the final year of his contract before a $43million (£33m) player option in 2024/25, and the Lakers have doubts about whether offering a maximum extension worth a huge nine-figure sum is the right move for the franchise. The Lakers traded a huge haul of players and picks to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019 to acquire the former No.1 overall pick, and they were immediately rewarded with Davis and LeBron James leading the Lakers to the NBA title in the covid-affected 2019/20 season.
Since then, the 29-year-old has faced a series of injury problems and has played only 130 regular season games over the course of the past three campaigns. When Davis has been on the court, he has been hugely influential for the Lakers on both ends of the floor, averaging 26 points per game in season 2022-23, and he was the team's leading performer in the postseason, which ended in the Western Conference Finals with a sweep at the hands of the Denver Nuggets.
