The Washington Wizards traded two first-round picks and three second-round picks, along with a mix of players, to the Mavericks before the deadline for Anthony Davis. It's not a move they desperately need to work out, but one they could use in their favor, whether that be because of his on-court production or his trade value, which could go hand-in-hand. Of course, the biggest question about whether AD can get there revolves around his health.
It's not that Davis' injury concerns are anything new, unfortunately, but in 2024, one of the reasons that Klay Thompson reportedly chose the Mavericks over the Lakers was because of the big man's availability (subscription required), as reported by Christian Clark of The Athletic:
But one of the reasons Thompson chose the Mavericks over the Lakers was that he had concerns about Davis’ availability, a source with knowledge of his thinking said.
Of course, Thompson and Davis ended up playing together anyway, as Nico Harrison orchestrated the trade that sent Luka Dončić to Los Angeles and AD to Dallas. The former Mavericks GM banked on Davis leading the team to a title, but a few weeks into the 2025-26 season, Harrison was fired, and a few months later, Davis moved to the nation's capital.
Anthony Davis' health concerns have only grown
Davis is preparing for the 2026-27 season, in which he will suit up for the Wizards for the first time. Washington is waiting until then to discuss an extension (subscription required), as Josh Robbins of The Athletic reported.
Understandably, they want to have something to go off of, but will they get that?
He is 33 and played just 20 games last season in Dallas before the trade; the season before that (2024-25), he played a combined 51 games with the Lakers (42) and the Mavericks (9). The 76 games Davis played in 2023-24 are an outlier, as outside of that, he hasn't played at least 60 games in a season since 2019-20, his first in Los Angeles.
In other words, Thompson's concern about Davis' availability is even more pressing now, at least for the Wizards (and any other team interested in trading for him). He's not getting any younger, which typically isn't when you become less injury-prone, and on top of that, the NBA is only moving at a quicker pace, and eventually, Father Time will come knocking.
Wizards are still waiting to see what they can get from AD
Washington's best-case scenario for Davis would be to start the season healthy and stay that way for at least a few weeks, showcasing his skills as one of the league's best two-way big men and prompting a contender (or contenders) to call the Wizards about a trade. Not to speak for AD, but there's reason to believe that's what he'd prefer, as he'd get to chase after another title elsewhere.
The Wizards are up-and-coming, but they're not there yet, and it'd benefit them to get off AD and at least get something in return while they can. Not just because it'd shift attention back to younger players, but because AD can't seem to stay healthy, and Washington would need to capitalize on that while it still can.
Thompson's AD concern is still valid; it's just something the Wizards have to consider now that they've traded for Davis. Hopefully, it doesn't step out of the shadows and bite them.
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