LOS ANGELES _ The Los Angeles Lakers offered Anthony Davis the maximum contract extension they could on Tuesday and, as expected, Davis turned down the offer in favor of waiting until July to sign any future deal.
The 26-year-old superstar's agent, Rich Paul, was clear all last season that Davis plans to become a free agent this summer. Where the Lakers could only offer him a four-year deal worth $146 million now, they will be able to offer him a longer and richer contract in the summer.
Tuesday was the first day Davis could agree to an extension after the six-time All-Star waived his no-trade clause and was traded from the New Orleans Pelicans in June.
Another procedural milestone was passing for the Lakers on Tuesday as Dwight Howard's one-year contract was to become guaranteed by the end of the day.
Howard agreed to a nonguaranteed deal in order to prove to the Lakers that he was serious about rehabilitating his image and filling a role they needed.
"Off to a great start," Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. "I felt like we've always had a connection from conversations we've had where we were both opponents to each other, and I felt like it was going to be a good fit. And when we met with him this summer that I could be an influential coach for him, and that he could bring his skill set and if he accepted the right role could really help us. All of that has played out in the way that I anticipated so far."
