NBA Rumors: Lakers' Pursuit Of Giannis Antetokounmpo In Peril After LeBron James Signed Extension

Los Angeles Lakers were expected to work on a deal for Anthony Davis but ended up addressing LeBron James’ tenure instead.

Aware that the four-time NBA champion could opt out next season, the purple-and-gold franchise has one less thing to worry about next offseason.

However, the two-year contract extension worth $85 million that James signed raises several questions about the Lakers' plans. A player who comes to mind is Davis.

According to Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, they are still ironing out a final deal for the 27-year-old center, the Associated Press reported.

James has proven that his prowess on the court remains at a high level. He will be turning 36 in the coming weeks and is expected to continue his measure of play and intensity this 2020-21 season.

The Akron, Ohio native will make more than $39 million this coming season, beyond $41 million next year, and in excess of $44 million in the final year of his new deal.

Once his lucrative pact ends, attention has shifted to Bronny James who will be graduating from high school in 2023.

With NBA commissioner Adam Silver declaring that high school players can jump to the NBA than play in college, the possibility of seeing a father-and-son tandem play for the Lakers looms, The Washington Post reported. James would be 38 at that time.

For Davis, the big numbers on his next paycheck are hardly surprising. Attention is more on the length of his new contract.

A short-term deal that could include a player option for the 2021-22 season is reportedly on the table for the 6-foot-10 cager.

Before James surprisingly inked a new deal, a scenario could have seen both him and Davis opting out to give the Lakers flexibility to pursue another high-profile star.

This is concerning Giannis Antetokounmpo, someone who has yet to sign a supermax deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. But with James locked in, the chances of the club possibly pursuing the two-time NBA MVP may have dwindled.

A much clearer picture of that may be known once the final deal of Davis is officially announced.

As far as the 2020-21 wars are concerned, the Lakers already appear formidable to make a new run at another NBA title. They took in Dennis Schroder, Montrezl Harrell, Wes Matthews and Marc Gasol.

Returning to the fray are Kyle Kuzma, Alex Caruso, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Markieff Morris and Jared Dudley among others.