Anthony Davis extension lines up perfectly for Lakers to bring in next star

Every championship window has its core tenants and for the Los Angeles Lakers, the last half-decade has been about LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But just like every title window, this will eventually close.

There is a good chance that the 2023-24 season is the last of the LeBron-AD era. LeBron has a player option next summer with a big reason to leave the team (potentially playing with his son).

While LeBron may leave, Davis is going to stick around for the long run. Davis signed a historic three-year contract extension with the Lakers that will keep him on the team through the 2027-28 season.

We have already outlined the next superstar teammate that Davis may have in Los Angeles. It goes deeper than that. Not only are the Lakers already potentially preparing for AD’s next superstar teammate, but the length of this extension also lines up perfectly with who the team may sign to be the franchise’s next star.

Possible Anthony Davis extension lines up perfectly for Lakers to pursue Zion Williamson or Ja Morant.

Davis’ extension keeps him in LA for another five seasons, allowing him to potentially win another championship if the Lakers are able to bring in a superstar to replace LeBron James. By the time this extension is up, though, it will be time to move on.

At that point, Davis will be 35 years old and will undoubtedly be out of his prime. Not everyone can be LeBron James and instead of paying him, the Lakers could target a young star that is at a similar age as Davis was when he joined the team initially.

There are two huge names that will be on the market in the 2028 summer in Zion Williamson and Ja Morant. Right now, both players’ stocks are pretty low for different reasons. Sitting here in 2023, neither guy may seem like a great option.

But at the end of the day, both Zion and Morant have the ability to be a top-five player in the league. We have already seen both players play like they belong on the All-NBA First Team and they are still so young. By the time 2028 rolls around they will be in their athletic prime and what better place to showcase that than Los Angeles?

Of course, if either guy goes down a bad path and continues regressing then it won’t make sense. But that 2028 summer has the potential to be really special and could be the time when the Lakers bring in the latest superstar to usher in yet another championship window.

After all, the history of the franchise has been dictated by all the superstars that have won titles. It is totally fair for fans to think about which star may come next.