Initially, when the Washington Wizards acquired Deandre Ayton from the Los Angeles Lakers, all eyes went to the fact that Will Dawkins made a no-brainer move to secure one of the top backup big men in the league.
That very well still could be the case, but it can't be ignored that the addition of Ayton opens up the possibility for the Wizards to at least realistically consider moving on from Anthony Davis this summer.
Ayton is a former No. 1 overall pick who's struggled to find a team to value his strengths throughout the course of his career.
Between stops with the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, and most recently, the Lakers, the Arizona product continues to receive more negative feedback than praise.
Ayton has surely struggled at times, but as a versatile 7-footer with a legit midrange shot, there's a genuine belief that the 27-year-old could prove he's better than the narrative that's been painted for him in the right system
As of now, Ayton is slotted to be the backup big for the Wizards, but on the off chance a blockbuster move is on the horizon, the Wizards at least now have options.
Snagging Deandre Ayton allows the Wizards to entertain moving AD
The Wizards' stunning addition of Davis ahead of the trade deadline was immediately met with mixed emotions.
Davis is the perfect two-way star to pair alongside Alex Sarr in the frontcourt, but he also offers Washington a top player in the league when fully healthy.
Alongside Trae Young, AJ Dybantsa, and one of the most intriguing young cores in the league, the Wizards have a genuine belief that a playoff run is feasible moving into next season.
However, Davis has already been linked to several interested teams on the trade market since the offseason began, and while the word out of D.C. has been that Washington doesn't have any interest in moving the Kentucky product.
At the same time, when interested teams were linked to the Wizards, Washington's frontcourt was in a much different place with no adequate backup big man on the roster.
With Ayton in the DMV, though, the Wizards have a legitimate Plan B on the roster, and while he's slotted to be a top backup in the league, it's obvious that he could fill in as a starter.
And we saw with Brian Keefe during the Jordan Poole experiment that the head coach is fully capable of getting the most out of talented players who have struggled to find their footing.
Moving Davis is still extremely unlikely, but if a team put together an offer the Wizards couldn't refuse, Washington is at least in the position where they can now consider a move.
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