Anthony Davis opts out of his player option with the LA Lakers

Lakers superstar Anthony Davis and his agent, Rich Paul, announced that they will opt-out of his player option with the Los Angeles Lakers but declared that they will give the Lakers the first dibs to offer a new contract.

NBA player contracts sometimes have a team or player option clause where either the team or the player can decide to extend their contract based on pre-agreed conditions.

In the case of Anthony Davis, his contract with the Lakers ends this season, but it has a player option of 28.7 million dollars (22.22 million GBP). It means that Davis has the choice (legally termed as an "option") to stay with the Lakers for 28.7 million dollars for the 2020-2021 season or opt-out of it and be a free agent.

Davis and his agent declared that he will opt-out of his current contract, effectively making him a free agent. However, they will entertain offers from the Lakers before other teams. According to NBA.com, Davis and his agent, Rich Paul, will be meeting with the Lakers management to discuss a fresh contract.

The center-forward is a seven-time NBA All-Star and was the All-Star Game MVP in 2017. He is a three-time blocks leader and four-time All-NBA first team. He is also a two-time Defensive First-team and the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

This year, the 27-year-old Davis played alongside LeBron James to win the championship. He averaged 26.1 points a game, 9.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2.3 blocks last season.

He also almost won the NBA Finals MVP, but his injury during the playoffs hampered his game. He played through his injury and was instrumental in beating the Miami Heat this year. It is Davis' first NBA Finals appearance and he put in solid numbers despite his injury.

As a career player, Davis averages 24 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.4 blocks a game. He averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds starting his sophomore year with the Pelicans and every year since.

The Los Angeles Lakers and its owner, Jeanie Buss, are known for giving players what they want if they believe they will be an asset to the team. Many well-known legends ended their careers as a Lakers player or played for them at some point in their careers.