LeBron James just signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s a league-minimum deal with a player option in the second year, as James decided to take a massive pay cut in order to join a title contender. Anthony Davis should follow suit with the Washington Wizards. He should consider taking a pay cut.
Davis has struggled to stay on the court for years. Yet he’s still probably going to want a max deal (or close to it) from the Wizards. But if he wants to seriously help the Wizards compete and plan for the future, he would take a small deal as James did. Maybe not exactly a minimum, but something significantly smaller than a max contract.
It probably won’t happen, but the Wizards should try to convince Davis to take a relatively small contract on his next deal.
Anthony Davis should consider taking a pay cut like LeBron James
Davis will be under contract for the upcoming season and has a player option for the 2027-28 campaign. However, he and the Wizards will have to come to an agreement on a contract extension in the next year or so.
It seems likely that Davis will want a megadeal. That’s all he’s ever signed throughout the course of his NBA career. But at this point, he should take a look in the mirror.
Last season, Davis was traded to the Wizards at the deadline. He didn’t appear in a single game for Washington. And before that, he only played in 20 games for the Dallas Mavericks.
Since the 2017-18 season, Davis has only appeared in at least 70 games one time. And over the course of the last two seasons, he’s only played in a combined 71 games.
Take a look at James. He’s going to be 42 years old next season. So, rather than finding a place to earn his next paycheck, James decided to prioritize his own happiness and a chance to win a title.
Now, James is going to team up with Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe in Philly. And if he didn’t take a pay cut, he wouldn’t be able to do it.
Plus, with how restrictive the CBA and second apron are, it’s becoming more important than ever to sign players to reasonable contracts. Overpaying is a nightmare.
If the Wizards give Davis anything close to a max deal, it could become a bad contract very quickly, especially considering how often he gets injured.
Davis taking a pay cut would seriously help the Wizards push toward contention over the next few years.
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