Lakers News: Anthony Davis, Rob Pelinka Discuss PF's New 5-Year, $190M Contract

Nobody thought Anthony Davis would sign with a team other than the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. And that included Davis himself.

It just wasn't clear how long Davis' new contract might be. Rumors circulated about the possibility of the 27-year-old forward signing a shorter-term deal in order to give the Lakers more financial flexibility next offseason, when the free-agent market could feature two-time reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

There was also the possibility of a long-term deal for Davis that ensured his stint in Los Angeles wouldn't be a short one after he helped the team win the NBA title in his first season in town in 2019-20. It would make sense that the Lakers would want to ensure that they have Davis, one of the top players in the league, around for the foreseeable future.

And that's exactly what happened, as Davis agreed to a five-year, $189.9 million deal that can keep him in Los Angeles until 2025.

"I want to secure the most amount of years possible and be here long term with this team, so I thought the five-year deal was best for me in my situation," Davis told reporters on Friday, including ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

Davis added that he could have signed a shorter deal, such as a two- or three-year contract, but he didn't want to risk it because of some of his past injuries. This past season, Davis dealt with shoulder, tailbone and ankle ailments, although none stopped him from helping guide the Lakers through the playoffs.

The injuries also didn't stop Davis from posting impressive numbers, as he averaged 26.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 62 games. After spending his first seven NBA seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, he's maintained a high level of production since coming to Los Angeles.

Before Davis inked his new deal, the Lakers agreed to a two-year, $85 million extension with LeBron James. With their top two stars now signed for numerous seasons each, Los Angeles general manager Rob Pelinka called it a "great moment of trust."

"When players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis reciprocate that trust with long-term commitments, that's just a nod to the work that they put in as players and that we put in," Pelinka told McMenamin. "It was just a really, really exciting day for Lakers fans to know that our two pillars and our two leaders are here for years to come."

There could be plenty more success to come for the Lakers during that time, considering that James and Davis already won a championship in their first season playing together. Los Angeles may be even better in 2020-21, as it's been busy adding complementary players to its roster this offseason, including guards Dennis Schroder and Wesley Matthews, forward Montrezl Harrell and center Marc Gasol.

While there could be plenty of personal accolades coming to Davis during the span of his five-year contract, his primary focus remains more team success.

"It's hard for me to set goals like MVP, DPOY, I like to let those things fall into place. If I play like I'm supposed to up to my potential, those things (can) happen," Davis said, according to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com. "The goal is to win another championship."

It wouldn't be surprising if Davis achieves that goal. And perhaps he'll even do it more than once over the next handful of seasons.