The Washington Wizards appear to be prioritizing asset management above all with Anthony Davis.
Washington is expected to keep their 10-time All-Star big man Davis into next season, Sean Deveney of Heavy.com reported on Tuesday. Deveney notes that the hope is for Davis to be able to prove that he is healthy and to rebuild his value before the trade deadline next year.
Davis, 33, landed with the Wizards this past February as part of a seven-player trade with the Dallas Mavericks. But Davis did not end up playing in a single game for Washington this season, leading to questions about what the long-term plan is for the former No. 1 overall pick.
Indeed, Davis seems like an odd match for the Wizards’ timeline. He is six years older than new star teammate Trae Young, 27, and is obviously far older than all of Washington’s other core pieces, including Kyshawn George (22), Alex Sarr (21), Bilal Coulibaly (21), Bub Carrington (20), and the incoming No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.
But Davis is very much at a low point of his value right now. He has played in just 71 total games combined over the last two seasons due to a myriad of injuries and is set to make an exorbitant $58.5 million next season (with an even bigger $62.8 million player option for 2027-28 as well).
Davis appeared to be hinting at a desire to move on already from the rebuilding Wizards with some blunt comments that he made last month. But it does not sound like Washington will be inclined to grant Davis his wish until it also benefits them to do so.
