Anthony Davis future with the Washington Wizards has been up in the air since the moment he joined the team ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February, but most of that uncertainty stemmed from the big man's lack of desire to suit up for a non-contender.
Davis made it clear that his only real commitment to Washington was financially, which in turn made many wonder how the team would persuade the star forward to sign the long-term extension reports suggested they were determined to offer this summer.
However, since the beginning of the offseason, the perception in Washington has seemed much different than it was originally, at least in terms of the Wizards' determination to sign AD to a long-term extension as soon as possible.
Wizards not in a rush to extend Anthony Davis
According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, the Wizards don't have any urgency to sign their newest addition to a deal, at least not right now.
"There is no sense of urgency considering that Davis is extension eligible through June 30 and has not yet played a game with the Wizards," Marks wrote. "It is hard to see the Wizards showing urgency to extend Davis for the max, considering his age and lack of availability. That does not mean an extension is unlikely, but it would come on Washington's terms."
Marks' thoughts alone suggest that Washington may have finally come to terms with the fact that there's no reason to sign Davis to a long-term extension without determining whether or not he can still be the player the team hoped he could be when they traded for him.
When healthy, Davis has proven to be one of, if not the best, two-way players in the league, but the biggest problem is the fact that he's rarely healthy.
The Mavericks were forced to quickly come to terms with their Luka Doncic mistake.
The lack of trade interest for Davis around the league suggests the other 29 teams in the NBA are already skiddish about how the risks outweigh the rewards.
And now, the Wizards' hesitancy to ink him to a long-term deal suggests the Wizards may be coming to the same realization.
Washington may play the long game with Davis
Davis may not have a desire to stay in the DMV long-term, but he may not have a choice, given he's under contract for the next two seasons.
As Marks mentioned, though, Davis could compromise with Washington by extending his deal but reducing his $62.8 million salary in 2027-28.
"The tradeoff would be guaranteed money in future seasons," Marks mentioned.
Still, until the two sides get to that point, the Wizards may be prepared to keep their options open as the offseason continues before making a long-term commitment.
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