With five seasons under his belt, Ed Davis can be seen as a veteran who is ready to win. The first year Laker came to Los Angeles on a cheap contract to prove himself. With a player option looming, Davis looks to opt out with his eyes set on a more lucrative and longer deal.
-== Best Lakers Draft Pick & Free Agent Pairings ==-
The Lakers future looks brighter with the number two overall pick in next week’s draft which may bring in Jahlil Okafor. With Okafor, the front court will begin to look crowded Julius Randle, Robert Sacre, Ryan Kelly, Tarik Black, and Jordan Hill may be the odd man out with his hefty $9 million contract.
Ed Davis spoke to Mark Medina of the LA Daily News and expressed his intentions to remain a Laker although he is opting out of his $1.1 million player option:
"Leading up to June 25, Davis will opt out of his $1.1 million player option in hopes for a more lucrative and long-term deal with the Lakers. But once July 1 hits, uncertainty awaits on whether that plan will work.“I definitely want to be back,” Davis said in an interview with Los Angeles News Group. “With everything being equal, I’m 100 percent going back there. Hopefully that’s the case. But with free agency and all the stuff going on with the draft, you never know how things are going to go."
In the 2014-15 NBA season that every Lakers fan is looking to put behind, Davis put up 8.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 79 games. Davis started 24 of those and played well when he got the opportunity, but saw his playing time dwindle down the stretch.
Davis has proved he can be a good rim protector, but his post moves could use a little work. The Lakers obviously want to keep Davis, but at the right price. Will Davis be willing to meet the Lakers in the middle? Regardless, if he gets a better offer elsewhere, the young man deserves to get paid.