The Washington Wizards don’t want to trade Anthony Davis and are clearly viewing him as a superstar. The Golden State Warriors tried to acquire the future Hall of Famer to help them land LeBron James in free agency, but Washington has no interest in taking back (subscription required) Jimmy Butler. Shams Charania reported it would take multiple first-round draft picks and multiple swaps to get AD. The Wizards are paying Davis like a superstar and are asking for a premium price.
Washington bought low on AD as the Mavericks looked to completely move on from the Luka Doncic trade. They gave up two first-round draft picks and three second-rounders, but those picks weren’t premium assets. One first-rounder was the 30th pick in 2026, and the other is top-20 protected in 2030. They didn’t pay a superstar price, but are asking for one to move on.
Davis is extension-eligible on Aug. 6, and the Wizards have to pay him. They have no interest in trading him and even acquired a center to grant AD’s longtime wish of playing power forward. The Wizards clearly think Davis is still elite and will help them get back into contention.
Wizards clearly view Anthony Davis as a superstar after rebuffed trade interest
The ten-time All-Star played just 20 games last season, but he averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 blocks in 31.3 minutes per game for the Mavericks. Davis shot 50.6 percent from the field and is one of the best two-way players in the NBA. He is an elite scorer, rebounder, and defender, but there are questions.
The 33-year-old has a lengthy injury history. He has played more than 60 games just twice in the last eight years and averages 49.6 per season during that stretch. The production is elite, but that doesn’t help when the player isn’t on the court. AD didn't play a single minute for Washington after the February trade.
Davis also wants a max extension. He has a player option for the 2027-28 season, so now is the time to lock him. The Mavs didn’t want to pay Davis over $68 million per year deep into his 30s.
Washington traded for him, has rebuffed serious offers to send him packing, and is already praising his leadership. The Wizards want to get back into contention and clearly see Davis as a key piece of that. They had a shot to quickly move on and get back significantly more than they paid, but Washington turned it down. It is clear they are in on AD playing like a star in the nation’s capital.
The Washington Wizards keep valuing Anthony Davis like a superstar. Golden State would have paid a significant price to get AD if it meant landing LeBron James, but Washington said no.
They want Davis to lead them back into contention next to Trae Young and number one overall draft pick AJ Dybantsa. It is as simple as that, and fans know the Wizards are only giving up the ten-time All-Star if some team blows them away with an offer. Given his injury history, that is unlikely to happen. Don’t be surprised to see AD land an extension. He is already a key piece for the Wizards, like it or not.
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