Anthony Davis’ future in Washington is already coming into focus, and it doesn’t sound like he’s eager to make the Wizards a long-term stop.
The big man was dealt to Washington last season, only a year after being moved to the Dallas Mavericks, and the Wizards had hoped he could be part of a new push alongside star guard Trae Young. But the picture behind the scenes appears much murkier than that.
“Anthony Davis has seemed to make his stance clear behind the scenes that if he had his choice, he wouldn't be sticking around with the Washington Wizards. Washington hoped that their trade deadline acquisition would help lead their young core to the next step in their rebuild, especially after landing Trae Young just before their addition of AD," Wiz of Awe's John Canady wrote.
Davis has also been in the news recently for comments about why he gained weight while with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“The strength training I was doing because I knew I was playing center, like I'm going against Joel Embiid and Jokic. And I never like I've always played like 250.
And that year I had got to like 265 and it was like I didn't like it. It was actually probably like 268 and I didn't like it.
I'm like, bro, I can't play like this. I feel heavy.
So I tried to cut during the season but when when you trying to do that while you playing this it was tough. And then that's when I went and was like hey man I want another big and all this stuff and you know it just didn't happen whatever," Davis said.
Now, Davis and his agent, Rich Paul, appear to be weighing what comes next. The Athletic’s Josh Robbins reported that Paul is already working through possible landing spots as the trade deadline nears.
“But Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, is one of the game’s most powerful player representatives, and he has proven skilled at securing the deals his high-profile clients want, in the cities where they want to be. There’s little doubt that Paul already has gamed out other teams’ interest in Davis and will continue to do so as February’s trade deadline approaches,” The Athletic’s Josh Robbins wrote.
From Washington’s side, the fit is hard to ignore: the franchise is still trying to climb in a crowded Eastern Conference, and Davis is at the stage of his career where contention matters. If Paul does line up another move, it would send Davis to his third team in three years.
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Perimeter work will be a big part of that evaluation, especially with several players expected to carry the load on the defensive end while others are still sorting out where they fit. Washingtons staff also has to figure out which lineups can keep pace from spiraling, because athleticism alone does not solve every problem when the game starts speeding up. Preseason should offer the first clear look at whether the Wizards can make those adjustments, or whether the same questions will linger once the games begin to count. [Read more 🡒]