Nearly every team in the league is awaiting the first major domino of the offseason to fall as the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes seem to finally be approaching an end.
The Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat are the two known finalists to land the two-time MVP, according to several reports, and as many know, the fallout of this move will have several ripple effects across the league.
Obviously, whichever team misses out on Giannis will likely turn their attention to the trade market to pivot quickly in order to make a splash before another team does.
And you're probably wondering, how does this impact the Wizards?
Well, one of the next best players teams are monitoring on the trade market, according to NBA Insider Jake Fischer, is Anthony Davis, who is believed to be a target for several teams, with one team specifically being linked to the big man, the Portland Trail Blazers.
Anthony Davis and his camp have been seeking a max extension, and it’s plausible to consider him a potential trade candidate out of Washington, per @JakeLFischer
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 22, 2026
The Portland Trail Blazers are a team expected to show interest.
(Via @BleacherReport ) pic.twitter.com/NCD25jDFZ9
If Davis is aggressively pursued, Washington will be forced to decide whether their aggressive mid-season swing is worth giving up on before he ever suits up in D.C., or if they should see things through and attempt to make a run with the future Hall of Famer on the roster, even if he doesn't want to be.
Wizards will be forced to decide Anthony Davis' future sooner than expected
The noise since Davis landed in D.C. has been loud, mostly due to the fact that the big man has seemingly been vocal behind the scenes that he'd prefer to play for a contender, one the Wizards aren't...yet.
Still, Davis doesn't exactly have leverage in this situation, considering Washington has him under contract and no real incentive to move him right now, especially if they can't land value in a return that deems a move worth it.
Reality of the situation, though, is that AD wants an extension, and after Washington inked Trae Young to a massive extension of his own, mixed with the fact they'll have to account for a sizable contract incoming with projected No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, there are some financial decisions for the team to consider.
And if Davis doesn't exactly want to be in the DMV, is it worth jeopardizing their financial flexibility for a player who could prefer to be elsewhere?
So if the Trail Blazers, who by all accounts have been mentioned as a team who hope to make a big splash this offseason, make a call to the Wizards, Washington may be forced to listen.
Portland has long been a fan of Davis; they have a real reason to make a swing after adding Damian Lillard to a playoff team, and several young pieces could interest the Wizards (i.e., Donovan Clingan).
Entering the offseason, if you asked me if Davis would be on the Wizards when the regular season came around, I would have been confident saying yes.
Now? Not so much.
