Another night, another reminder that Anthony Davis can still tilt a game all by himself.
In the Washington Wizards’ 103-94 win over the Orlando Magic, Davis delivered 27 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals, giving Washington exactly the kind of two-way punch it had in mind when it traded for him at last season’s deadline. The win pushed the Wizards back above .500, and after seven games, the return on that deal is looking awfully strong.
That’s the bigger story here: Davis hasn’t just been useful, he’s looked like the player Washington was betting on. The concerns about his health and any talk of decline haven’t stopped him from showing up in a major way all season long.
The Wizards and Davis both want to let the season breathe before making any long-term decisions, but if this level of play holds, the answer should be obvious. Washington should not hesitate to extend him.
Davis has been producing at an All-NBA level, and the numbers back it up. He’s averaging 23 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals this season, while continuing to anchor the defense as one of the best defenders in the world. On offense, he’s also doing damage in a way that stands out: he’s posting the best 3-point shooting season of his career, hitting 36.8 percent from deep on the second-most attempts per game of his career, behind only his first season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
That kind of production is why the conversation around Davis feels so simple right now. When he’s healthy, he’s still a borderline top-15 player in the NBA and capable of taking over a game on either end.
There’s also the contract side of this, and it matters. Davis has a player option this offseason worth just over $62 million.
He could take it, but doing so would leave him exposed to injury risk and potentially cost him long-term money. The cleaner path for both sides would be for Davis to decline that option and work out a new deal slightly below the max.
That would give Davis one more major payday and keep him in Washington through the end of his prime. It would also give the Wizards a chance to keep the most accomplished and talented player to wear their jersey since prime John Wall.
And for Washington, that’s the real calculation. The Wizards are better now, but they’re still not the kind of free-agent destination that can count on landing stars from the outside. If they already have a bona fide superstar who seems happy there, the smart move is to keep him.
In Other News...
Trae Youngs New Wizards Role Gets Tested In A Game That Matters
Washington has spent the early part of the season getting encouraging signs from its primary starters, with Anthony Davis and AJ Dybantsa both helping set a more stable tone. Now the spotlight shifts to Trae Young, whose arrival from Atlanta was supposed to bring a different kind of value to the roster. Rather than being asked to carry everything, he is expected to settle into a part-time playmaking mentor role, a different assignment for a player long used to being the engine.
The timing makes the matchup with the Hawks especially interesting, because it puts Young in a game that carries more weight than a typical early-season meeting. For the Wizards, it is a chance to see how his experience translates in a setting that matters, while also adjusting to the ripple effects of a roster that has changed around him. There is also a broader layer to the night with other familiar names in the mix, which only adds to the sense that this one has more history attached to it than most November games. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Title Hopes May Depend On Trae Young Making One Change
The Wizards long-term ceiling may come down to how Trae Young adapts alongside rookie AJ Dybantsa, and that starts with Young doing more damage away from the ball. Washington brought in a high-usage guard who has spent most of his career dictating every possession, but the fit the front office is chasing is different now, with Dybantsa emerging as a potential centerpiece and the team looking for a two-man game that can stress defenses in more than one way.
Dybantsa has already given the organization reason to believe the pairing can work, even in the early stages of his first NBA stretch. For Washington, the appeal is obvious: if Young can turn himself into a credible off-ball threat, it would open the floor for Dybantsas development and give the Wizards a cleaner path toward the kind of offensive balance that matters when the games get bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Defense Is Giving Fans A Real Reason To Believe
The early-season conversation around Washington has shifted in a hurry, and for once it starts on the defensive end. A group that was buried by opponents a year ago has become one of the leagues more disruptive units, with veteran additions helping steady the floor and young players such as Kyshawn George, Justin Champagnie and Bilal Coulibaly taking real steps forward. It is the kind of progress that changes how a team is viewed, especially for a roster still trying to build an identity.
There is also a more intriguing layer to it now, because the Wizards have found stretches where their defense looks even sharper when certain pieces are on the court together. Injuries and role changes have kept that combination from showing up as often as the team would like, but the underlying trend is hard to ignore. For a franchise that has spent so long searching for signs of traction, the defensive leap alone is enough to make the rest of the season worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]