Washington Wizards media day offered one clear theme: the organization wants to be better on defense, and Brian Keefe has made that point repeatedly. But the biggest long-view question hanging over the room was Anthony Davis, and he didn’t do much to clear the air.
Asked by David Aldridge of The Athletic about where things stand beyond this season, Davis was direct about when he expects to make that call. He said he will assess his future with the Wizards when the season is over.
Anthony Davis said he will assess his future with the Wizards when the season is over. Question asked by @davidaldridgedc.
That answer fits the contract math in front of him. Davis has a player option worth nearly $63 million next season, so the decision won’t be a small one.
But the tone around his situation feels different from the one that followed him through the summer, when it sounded like he was pushing for an extension and another guaranteed deal. The two sides never landed on an agreement.
Because of that, waiting until the season ends makes sense. If Davis and Washington still aren’t aligned on his value, declining the player option and testing free agency would be the cleanest path.
If he doesn’t like his role in Washington, there are really two routes. He could turn down the option, or he could pick it up and ask for a trade. That second path would give Davis the security of the large deal while sending him to a team that actually wants him, and it would leave the Wizards with assets in return.
There’s also the scenario where Davis decides he likes what he sees in Washington and believes the team can contend. In that case, he could either keep the option or pass on it and work out a long-term deal instead.
That route comes with a major catch, though: the money. According to this scribe’s calculations, anything above $30 million per year would make Washington’s future extensions much harder to manage.
A contract in that range would put the team at risk of losing two of Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, and Will Riley. The Wizards could keep all three, but only if those players accepted major pay cuts or stalled as players.
So Davis’ future sits on a foggy fork in the road. One path points toward an exit.
The other keeps him in Washington, but at the cost of some youth. Wizards fans will get a clearer picture next summer.
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