Wizards fully cashed in on the Anthony Davis effect and he hasn't even suited up yet

Anthony Davis has yet to suit up for the Washington Wizards, and based on the early reports since the team's offseason began, there's no telling that he ever will.

Typically, for a team like Washington, the chance that a blockbuster addition forcing his way out before ever playing a minute for the organization would be a nightmare scenario, but after the team's good fortune in the NBA Draft Lottery on Sunday, the Wizards' bold swing for AD already seems to be paying off.

Following the Wizards' being awarded the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, it seems as if the team's big break could be credited to the Anthony Davis effect.

And if you're not sure exactly what the Anthony Davis effect is, don't worry, I've got you covered.

Anthony Davis trade has impacted the No. 1 overall pick 3 times

Davis is a future Hall of Famer, so the fact that he's already been traded three times in his career is a bit insane.

Interestingly enough, though, every time the big man gets traded, it seems he has a major impact on the NBA Draft Lottery one way or another.

New Orleans moved on from Davis in 2019 and later found themselves granted the top pick to select Zion Williamson.

The Mavericks made the head-scratching trade to offload Luka Doncic in the middle of his prime for AD, and in the end, it led Dallas to secure Cooper Flagg.

Now, the Wizards become the latest team to cash in on the Anthony Davis effect by landing the rights to AJ Dybantsa just a few months after their swing for the star forward.

For Washington, even if AD moves on, the trade has already seemed to bring them enough good fortune to snap their reputation of bad luck.

At the same time, the Anthony Davis effect may have also allowed them to keep the big man around.

Wizards good luck could keep AD in D.C.

Washington will have their hands full convincing Davis that the playoffs are more of a realistic goal than what he's suggested, but adding a talent like Dybantsa helps their case tremendously.

The Wizards' starting lineup could be extremely dangerous, and with the leftover talent to fill out their bench unit, there's no reason why Washington can't be a playoff-caliber team as early as next season.

And if the team is able to prove that by this point next year, all indications suggest that both Dybantsa and Davis will be a major reason as to why.

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