The Washington Wizards formed a new superstar duo ahead of the NBA trade deadline when the team made a pair of bold swings to acquire four-time All-Star Trae Young and Anthony Davis.
Since the moves, neither player has hit the floor with their new squad, as both attacked the recovery process for injuries suffered prior to their arrival in the DMV.
Nonetheless, on Thursday, the Wizards are expecting Trae Young to debut against the Utah Jazz, in a game that could have major implications on the team's offseason plans.
Young's debut is obviously a major talking point, especially considering the team's rebuild. However, arguably the most eye-opening news about the star guard's debut is the fact that it may directly shed light on the team's plans for Anthony Davis to suit up in the near future.
Trae Young's debut could offer insight on team's plans for AD
General manager Will Dawkins' had been adament about the team's determination to have both Young and Davis see the court before the regular season came to an end.
Despite that, outside sources have seemingly been unsure whether those intentions from the Wizards were real, or if the team would eventually just decide to sideline their new duo until next season giving them a clean bill of health and an entirely fresh restart.
Fast forward to now, it appears that the Wizards intentions were true, with Young being the first of the two stars to schedule their debut.
With Young set to hit the court for Washington, it shows that the Wizards care more about building early chemistry rather than prioritizing their draft positionning ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft this offseason.
Last week, head coach Brian Keefe announced that Davis arrived in Washington and although he had yet to be cleared for basketball activities, he was present for the team's practice.
Shortly after, Dawkins' made it clear that the plan remained for both of the team's new big fish additions to see playing time before the regular season came to an end.
With Young's debut coming on Thursday, step one is complete.
The next step? Davis returning to action.
Anthony Davis return still in play
As mentioned above, Davis has yet to be cleared for basketball activities, but considering how quickly Young was able to return to game action, it offers optimism tthat the big man could hit the floor at some point down the stretch.
Considering the injury for Davis has to do with his hand, there's a good chance that the former No. 1 overall pick has continued conditioning, especially since joining the Wizards at the trade deadline.
If/when he's cleared, the SEC alum very well could see action alongside Young and the team's young core.