The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Championship in their first season with former New Orleans Pelicans big-man Anthony Davis on the roster. But what you may have forgotten was the risk Los Angeles assumed in trading for Davis, as they were only guaranteed his services for one season.

Davis always had the option to opt-out of his $28 million contract for the 2020-21 NBA season and pursue free agency if he so chose. If the Lakers struggled last season, or Davis thought he could find a better situation somewhere else, he always had an out.

But after winning his first NBA title alongside LeBron James, Davis isn’t eager to leave town just yet. He will formally opt-out of his current contract, but with full intentions of staying with the Lakers for the foreseeable future.

In Year 2 of the Davis-James tandem, the Lakers will look to pick up right where they left off: dominating both the Western Conference and the postseason en route to potentially another NBA title.

Davis himself proclaimed “We’re gonna run it right back.” Indeed, the Los Angeles Lakers are the early favorite to win the 2021 NBA Finals.

Davis will likely maximize his value with a shorter-term deal, allowing him to re-negotiate his salary in the coming years as the NBA salary cap continues to rise.

With James turning 36 at the end of the year, entering the twilight of his career, the Lakers could eventually become Davis’ team. But for now, Los Angeles is a two-headed monster and an NBA title threat for the immediate future.

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Header Photo Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports