As the Washington Wizards decide whether to extend Anthony Davis, the biggest hurdle is staying healthy; reaching that point may be challenging, and what happens after could be even harder. If AD opts to decline his $62.8 million player option for 2026-27 early, he will be eligible to sign a deal worth more than $275 million over four years (meaning he will be on the books until he's 38).
Now, the Wizards won't be obligated to pay him that much, as they certainly shouldn't, no matter how well he played the first couple of months, but what if that's what Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul pushes for?
Washington doesn't need a drawn-out saga with both sides far apart in talks, and it could avoid that by trading him before the deadline, rather than risk letting things drag into the summer, when Davis could leave in free agency. But if Paul makes it known that AD wants out if he can't get the money he wants, that could hurt some of the Wizards' leverage in talks.
Will Anthony Davis push for a max extension?
You would think that, after Davis played just 29 games between the start of 2025 and the start of the 2026-27 season, Paul wouldn't push for a max, or anything too close to it. He doesn't have the same value he once did, especially now that teams have to navigate the tax apron restrictions.
But AD has a history of pushing for max extensions, going back to the two he signed with the Lakers, and he could see his next deal as his last shot at getting one. If he's healthy and in the lineup, dominating on both ends and helping the Wizards win more often than not, Paul could add that to Davis' case.
If AD genuinely enjoys living in D.C. and helping the Wizards shape their culture on and off the floor, he will be more open to signing a team-friendly extension, which would help protect Washington from mortgaging its future (would he sign a short-term deal, maybe?) and boost its chances of being competitive under the newly implemented anti-tanking system.
Washington will at least have an out by trading AD, which will probably be best for their future since availability is an issue. Even if the front office thinks he has value, they can't let that turn into Davis securing a four-year deal paying an average annual value of $68 million, which would make him untradable and hurt the team's chances of keeping its younger core together.
The Wizards need to be realistic about what to pay Davis if they decide that's the route they want to take.
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