How COVID-19 Could Force Anthony Davis to Opt Into Lakers Deal This Summer

Until days ago, it was widely assumed that Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis would forgo his player option for the 2020-21 season to become a free agent this summer.

After all, the move was expected to net him the largest possible deal. However, as a result of the novel coronavirus, Davis might end up opting in and pushing back his free agency until next summer.

“Someone such as the Lakers’ Anthony Davis might choose not to opt out of his deal this summer and wait until the salary cap is robust again to become a free agent since top-dollar or super-maximum contracts are based on a percentage of the overall salary cap,” Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher wrote. “But delaying his entry into the free-agent pool only means it will be more crowded when he does. A superstar such as Davis is sure to get a maximum offer from some team, but if doing so eats up all of a team’s cap room, the middle-tier players who might’ve been able to negotiate something beyond a minimum contract will be harder pressed to find a team with the cap room to do so.”

While the Lakers are widely expected to re-sign Davis if he does opt out of his current deal, a potential decision to opt in by Davis would likely be welcome by the team’s front office.

The novel coronavirus has turned society on its axis for the time being. Major cities in the United States and entire countries all over the world are on mandatory shutdown to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Hopefully, these dramatic efforts help save lives and allow everyone to return to a normal way of life sooner rather than later.

Once that happens, Lakers fans can get back to worrying about Davis’ future in the Purple and Gold.