The Warriors are searching for size, and Anthony Davis just gave them a fresh reminder of why his name keeps surfacing in trade conversations.
Davis powered the Washington Wizards in a 122-111 loss to the Detroit Pistons, and he did it in a way that turned heads fast. Against a Pistons team missing Jalen Duren, he became just the fifth Wizard in the past 30 years to score 30 points in a half. By the end of the night, he had piled up 44 points and made the kind of statement that keeps him on Golden State’s radar.
It was a blistering offensive performance from start to finish. Davis, who had missed the previous two games because of a minor ankle injury, looked fully in rhythm right away. He was dominant around the basket, hit two threes, and put together a huge first half that set the tone for everything that followed.
His final line was as efficient as it was eye-catching: 16-of-21 from the field, 2-of-4 from deep and 10-of-11 at the line. He also grabbed 13 rebounds in 34 minutes, continuing a strong opening stretch to the season for the 33-year-old.
Through Monday, Davis was averaging 23.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 50% from the floor and 35% from three. He’s also contributing 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, all while carrying the added incentive of chasing a new contract after the Wizards passed on an extension over the offseason.
Golden State has been tied to Davis before, and not just recently. The Warriors have come up in trade chatter involving him multiple times over the years, including this past summer when they were also in the mix for former Los Angeles Lakers teammate LeBron James.
For now, though, the path is complicated. Unless the Warriors are willing to move Jimmy Butler - something that appears highly unlikely - they can’t really chase Davis until December 15, when Draymond Green becomes trade-eligible. At that point, a deal could theoretically be built around Green, Porzingis, Moses Moody and draft capital, giving Golden State a possible core of Stephen Curry, Butler, Davis and Yaxel Lendeborg.
There are still obstacles beyond the calendar. The Warriors have little appetite for moving Green or Moody, and they would prefer to complete a Porzingis trade before December 16. Even so, any player acquired for Porzingis before that date could still be folded into a Davis deal before the mid-season deadline.
Davis’ start to the year makes the case plain enough: he’s still one of the league’s best big men. That’s exactly why the Warriors keep looking, even with the obvious concerns tied to his injury history, age and contract situation.
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