Anthony Davis' first mission as a part of the Washington Wizards was arguably the toughest task he's been tasked with throughout the course of his NBA career, but it was more than achievable.
The task? Luring LeBron James to D.C.
Outside of the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, the biggest offseason domino to fall was the free agency decision from future Hall of Famer LeBron James.
Every team in the league got their opportunity to make a pitch to James and his camp, with long-time agent Rich Paul confirming that there were at least some form of conversations with every team in the league.
As a former teammate of Davis, it felt like if the Wizards had legitimate interest, Washington could have made a legitimate run for the four-time MVP, especially considering the revamped depth chart in the DMV consisting of AD, Trae Young and reigning No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa.
Undoubtedly, the Wizards fell short of even landing on James' shortlist of potential landing spots before his decision was announced, which turns all eyes to Davis, who even confirmed that he had conversations with his former championship teammate about reuniting in D.C.
LeBron James is now a Philadelphia 76er and the Wizards have another contender to keep an eye on.
Anthony Davis dropped the ball on luring LeBron to Washington
Obviously, the idea of the Wizards landing James was always far-fetched, especially given the advantage teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat had, given the veteran forward's history with both franchises.
Not to mention, situations like the Philadelphia 76ers, Golden State Warriors, and even the Minnesota Timberwolves seemingly offered a championship window that Washington arguably wouldn't.
In the same breath, though, even James' agent Rich Paul made it clear that he believed the Wizards were the biggest sleeper in the East entering next season, and that's not even factoring in what the team could have looked like with the 41-year-old on the roster.
Not to mention, before the AD-LBJ era in Los Angeles came to an end, the Lakers seemingly flirted with the idea of forming a big three of Young, Davis, and James on the West Coast for the longest time.
In Washington, James could have automatically turned that dream trio into a reality, while also factoring in a young core headlining Dybantsa, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson.
Davis had every reason to make a serious pitch for LeBron to bring his talents to the nation's capital, and in the end, it never happened.
Sure, AD may have made a push, and James turned him down, but it feels like if Davis did make a legitimate run at making a pitch to reunite with his former teammate, there would have been at least some murmurs about the idea.
Instead, Washington never seemed like a team involved, which is somewhat disappointing considering the Wizards' current state and ability to compete right away.
