Chicago Bulls: 3 reasons Anthony Davis dream signing won’t happen
Reason #2: LeBron isn’t going down without a fight
The very reason that any of these Davis to Chicago rumors are floating around is the fact that Davis can opt-out of his contract after next season to become a free agent. This is troubling for Lakers fans, but shouldn’t be too much of a concern.
Davis will almost certainly opt-out, and the Lakers will be the top contender to sign him to a new contract worth even more money. But it does have to concern the Lakers a bit that they’re in this vulnerable position.
The Lakers traded away their future to get Davis. They parted ways with four players and three first-round draft picks to acquire the superstar. If he walked away after one season, it would be a disaster for the Lakers.
"Anthony Davis is one of the Top 5 players in the NBA. Him leaving New Orleans at such a young age to go to LA and play with LeBron James tells me that LeBron still has clout and power." — @IsiahThomas pic.twitter.com/rlfcvImOKW
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) July 22, 2019
That fact is the reason why I think they’ll do anything to ensure Davis signs a long-term contract after next season. Davis and LeBron are represented by the same agent, Rich Paul. Paul is LeBron’s childhood friend and a rising agent in the NBA.
Paul appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated in June shortly before the Davis trade and used the interview as an opportunity to make it clear that the Lakers were the preferred destination. He went as far as to say Davis wouldn’t re-sign if Boston traded for him.
That interview showed where Paul’s head is at, and LeBron is most likely on the same page. LeBron is going to lobby Davis hard to stay in LA to build a dynasty. The only thing that could derail that dream is a nightmare season for the Lakers next year.