There was always risk in trading for Anthony Davis. The Lakers’ bald-faced pursuit of the superstar two winters ago, combined with Davis’ well-known desire to team up with LeBron James, drove the price up.
When a deal was finally completed in 2019, nearly six months after the pursuit began, the Lakers had conceded three players and three first-round draft picks. All for a player who could leave in free agency a year later.
Of course, that isn’t what happened.
Not only did Davis not leave in free agency, but he also re-signed with the Lakers on Thursday for the maximum money and the maximum years: $190 million over five seasons.
Few questioned the savvy of trading for Davis 18 months ago. It was a risk worth taking — a risk that was rewarded with a championship in October. With Davis making a long-term commitment before the sun came up in Southern California on Thursday, the true impact of that trade is coming into clearer…
