Last week, Christian Clark of The Athletic reported that one reason Klay Thompson chose the Mavericks over the Lakers in 2024 was that he had concerns (subscription required) about Anthony Davis' availability. The guard wanted to be in the best position to win another title, and he believed it was Dallas. Now, he's with the Heat for that same reason.
Davis and the Washington Wizards would love to stand in the way of Thompson and the Heat's championship hopes by competing for a title themselves, but even after adding AD and Trae Young and drafting AJ Dybantsa, they're not there yet. They should certainly be better than last season, but there is still a sizable gap between them and the top of the East, especially after this offseason.
So, the odds are that even if Davis can stay healthy, it won't be enough to make Washington a true threat. The Wizards aren't in the same tier as the Heat (who aren't even a lock to finish in the top six), so AD won't be able to show Thompson what he didn't have the chance to do in Los Angeles, and what he couldn't in Dallas — that he can stay healthy enough to compete for a title.
Wizards aren't a contender yet
Washington shouldn't have those expectations for the team or Davis. As for the latter, all they should hope is that he stays healthy long enough to show he's still one of the best two-way players in the league. Of course, that'd benefit not only their play, but AD's trade value, too.
The Wizards can help Davis prove he can stay in good enough shape to help a contender win it all, but that won't be possible without a trade. That doesn't mean he can't be a thorn in the Heat's side, though, on their quest to climb the mountaintop again in Washington's matchups against Miami, the first of which will be on Dec. 3.
It's still too early to know how things will go down between Washington and AD, but you can at least get a sense with the Wizards choosing to hold off on extension talks. His availability is part of the reason, which brings us back to Thompson's concern from two summers ago.
Davis can remind everyone who he is by easing that concern, which is no longer Thompson's but Washington's. And it could maybe lead him straight into the arms of a contender, where he could muster the power to make Klay wonder what he was thinking in 2024.
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