Anthony Davis has made the same point before, and he’s saying it again: he wants another big next to him.
As he gets ready for his first game with the Wizards after February’s trade from the Dallas Mavericks, Davis repeated that preference during an appearance on Numbers On The Board.
“For me, I feel like I’ve been most successful in my career when I’ve had another big," Davis said.
That wish has been a recurring theme for Davis in recent years. Since winning the 2020 championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, he has spent most of his minutes at center, but he clearly sees himself as more of a power forward when the right frontcourt partner is available.
The issue is that his jumper hasn’t held up the way it once did, which makes the fit more specific. Davis needs a stretch five who can pull defenders out to the perimeter, and that narrows the list quickly. He could see time alongside Alex Sarr or Deandre Ayton this season, but Ayton doesn’t space the floor and Sarr has hit just 31.6% from three over his first two seasons.
That’s where the Warriors enter the picture. Golden State continues to be tied to Davis as a possible midseason trade target, and the roster construction makes the idea easy to imagine. If a deal centered on Jimmy Butler and draft capital ever came together, the Warriors would be able to give Davis exactly what he wants.
One version of that kind of move could involve Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis and Moses Moody, though putting together a 3-for-1 trade gets tricky for a team so close to the second apron.
If Butler and picks were enough to land Davis, Golden State could then shift him to the four and surround him with other size. Porzingis and Horford would give the Warriors a big frontcourt, and that setup would likely appeal to new defensive coordinator Frank Vogel, who coached Davis on the Lakers’ title team.
Green could still end up in the mix too, and he can be grouped in with the bigs given how far above his size he plays on defense. The spacing would be a concern, but the defensive upside would be obvious.
And if anyone would understand Davis’ thinking, it might be Vogel. He already built an elite defense around Davis and another big in Los Angeles, and now that he’s in charge of the defensive side in Golden State, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Warriors revisited their interest should Davis become available again before the trade deadline.
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