The Washington Wizards continue to say what fans want to hear, indicating that the expectation is that Anthony Davis will remain in D.C. moving forward.
Washington's bold swing ahead of the trade deadline all but confirmed the commitment the team had to keep both Davis and Trae Young around when they made the blockbuster trades for each star, and up to this point, they've confirmed that.
The Wizards have already inked Young to a massive contract extension, one that many believe was a steep overpay to keep the All-Star guard in the DMV.
And while there's an argument for why the deal for the 27-year-old may not be as bad as people think, Washington simply can't put themselves in a similar position with Davis as contract talks continue into the summer.
Wizards can't overpay Anthony Davis just to keep him in Washington
For years, managing to get top talent in D.C. has been an issue the Wizards have struggled with.
The previous regime put themselves in a tough spot by overpaying Bradley Beal after an already concerning injury history, and had it not been for the Phoenix Suns, Washington would still be dealing with that mess.
Young's deal alone could turn out to be a bad investment, but given the need to potentially pay a steep price to keep an All-Star talent entering his prime in D.C., the Wizards' decision to roll out the Brinks truck, considering their history, is at least understandable.
However, the difference between Davis and Young at this point in their careers is that one player is only 27 with minimal injury history, while the other is 33 and has a deep injury history that has caused many to label him as injury-prone.
At his best, AD is one of the most dominant two-way players in the league, and securing a commitment from him would be huge for the Wizards, but it shouldn't cost them to overpay during extension talks.
Finding a happy medium would be an ideal scenario; one where Davis can land the long-term extension he's searching for, but maybe on a team-friendly deal that the Wizards can at least justify giving a player who's struggled to stay healthy over the last couple of years.
With the harsh reality of the new CBA and the young players the Wizards will eventually have to pay, setting themselves up for failure by signing both Young and Davis to lucrative deals would be a massive mistake that an organization on the rise must resist making.
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