The Wizards are playing a dangerous game with Anthony Davis

The Washington Wizards' acquisition of Anthony Davis at the trade deadline came with plenty of questions, with the biggest being whether the veteran forward would even be willing to suit up in D.C.

Since February, Washington's additions of AJ Dybantsa, Deandre Ayton, and even Khris Middleton to round out their revamped depth chart have silenced the noise about whether or not AD would be open to staying put in the DMV.

On top of the moves to build a playoff-hopeful roster around Davis and All-Star running mate Trae Young, the pending contract extension for Davis has only added momentum for the big man to find reasons to remain in D.C.

Davis made it clear before landing with the Wizards that he wherver he landed at his next stop, a contract extension would be at the top of his to-do list, and if a team wasn't willing to offer him the bag he felt he was worth, they'd simply be wasting their time.

All indications suggest that the Wizards are intending to ink their big addition to a contract extension, which alone helps the team shut down the heavy trade interest with confidence that they can offer AD something other squads wouldn't.

However, the latest speculation about what the Wizards are willing to offer in contract talks proves that Washington is playing with fire that could either lead to a major win or a big collapse.

Wizards may not be willing to offer max money to Anthony Davis

In a recent offseason update from ClutchPoints NBA Insider Brett Siegel, the insider speculated that the Wizards may not be willing to give Davis the max extension he's searching for this offseason.

Obviously, Siegel wasn't reporting that the Wizards weren't willing to offer the max money AD is aiming for, but he did suggest he doesn't see a world in which any team, including Washington, would offer max money for a player who can't stay healthy.

Following what many would consider an overpay to keep Trae Young around, it wouldn't be a total shock to see the Wizards just do what they have to do in order to keep premium talent around, which could lead to them offering near the four-year, $275 million extension he's eligible for.

In the same breath, IF the Wizards are content with playing hardball and offering a 2-3 year extension as Siegel suggested, it could be a major win for the Wizards to secure the former top pick for the next few years, without putting themselves in a tough spot when Alex Sarr, AJ Dybantsa, and even Kyshawn George are extension eligible themselves.

At the same time, if Davis takes any offer less than what he's asking for as disrespect, it could lead to the big man trying to force his way out or waiting until next offseason to decline his $62.7 million player option and leave for nothing.

Washington has to play their negotitation cards wisely, but if they can secure a commitment for less than the max extension price point, it would be a major win for Will Dawkins.

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