The Los Angeles Lakers were expected to announce the much-awaited deal for Anthony Davis hence there were a lot of people surprised to hear about a new LeBron James deal. This means that James will remain a Laker until the 2021-22 wars at the least.
According to the Associated Press, the Lakers and James agreed to a two-year deal worth $85 million. As far as Davis is concerned, a deal for the 27-year-old center is expected to follow soon according to agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.
With this development, there is a lot to digest. Locking up James means that the Lakers may not be weighing much on making a run at Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. The two-time NBA MVP has yet to sign a max deal with the Bucks and multiple clubs are keeping tabs of that situation.
.@Giannis_An34 gave @KingJames his respect pic.twitter.com/NIzYwiBgas — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 2, 2020
The Lakers do still have a slight opening at Antetokounmpo. This depends on the kind of deal that Davis will get. Most see a short-term deal coming which may include a player options after the 2020-21 season.
To give the Lakers some flexibility in the even that “The Greek Freak” is available, Davis could opt out, CBS Sports reported. However, that measure of flexibility got a bit smaller with the new deal of James.
As for James, the deal has given the Lakers a lock on him in the next couple of years. Though he has proven to still be at a competitive level, there is no telling how the performance of the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player will be in the succeeding years.
Now at 36, James continues to dominate the game and play at a high level. He has also properly kept rack of his health, avoiding any major injuries through the years.
As for the Lakers, they seem to be already formidable after a busy offseason. Among their key additions include Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, Wes Matthews and Marc Gasol. Davis is the last remaining piece for the 2020-21 wars and the purple and gold are once again tipped among the favorites to win it all.
Lastly, there is that Bronny James angle. Expected to graduate in 2023, there is that lingering possibility of seeing the father-and-son tandem play side-by-side. With the NBA allowing high school graduates to make the jump to the NBA rather than college, both could be playing together if James is still up for it at the age of 38.
