Los Angeles Lakers: Ranking their three best contracts

Anthony Davis

There are a select few players who can be on the books for five years and $190 million and still be the best contract on their team but Anthony Davis checks every box imaginable. He’s young, incredibly productive and still underpaid.

Yes, $190 million is a lot. Because the NBA has a max contract, Davis, in a totally free-market, would blow by that number in a heartbeat. The top 10 players in the league are underpaid in the current system so the next 20 or so players can be overpaid.

Davis’ contract covers the remainder of his prime and guarantees that the Lakers will be in the title mix throughout the twilight of LeBron James’ career. It shouldn’t be forgotten but Davis was the Lakers’ best player in the playoffs.

His defense makes the Lakers impenetrable against any type of offense and his inside-out game means he’s a mismatch against just about every defender in the league. The only area where Davis could see real improvement is as a passer, but that’s not a huge concern right now with LeBron James morphing into a 6’9” John Stockton.

NBA champions need one of the five best players in the league because those players are always underpaid. The league makes it impossible for them to be compensated properly. As a result, they determine the winners and losers.

Anthony Davis is the full-fledged manifestation of player empowerment. He pushed his way out of New Orleans and forced the Lakers to give up the farm and it all works because his production means he has to be on one of the best contracts in the league. The Lakers are the favorites again and it’s because they have the best two-way player at a fraction of what he’s really worth.