Anthony Davis is eligible for a new extension with the Wizards as of August 6, but don’t expect the two sides to rush into anything.
According to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, Washington and Davis are not expected to open contract talks right away. In fact, league sources told The Athletic that if the sides have “meaningful” discussions about an extension, those conversations would come during the 2026/27 season rather than before it.
That would be the reverse of the usual offseason script. Teams and players often circle an extension in the summer and then table the issue once the season starts if no deal gets done. Here, Robbins says the Wizards and Davis are leaning toward the opposite approach, with both sides apparently wanting more time before making a long-term commitment.
That hesitation makes some sense given the situation. Davis has not played a game for Washington yet. He arrived in a trade from Dallas at February’s deadline, then sat out the rest of the 2025/26 season because of a hand injury.
There have been signs of early buy-in. Davis was at the Wizards’ optional mini-camp in July and has spoken highly of the team’s young core.
But he also raised concerns in the spring about whether Washington can turn itself into a contender quickly after spending the last three years among the league’s worst teams. He may want to see what the Wizards look like on the floor this fall before seriously weighing an extension.
Washington may feel the same way for different reasons. Davis has been limited to 62 total games over the last two seasons, including just 20 in 2025/26, so the Wizards could prefer to see him healthy and productive before committing further.
There’s also a roster-management wrinkle: if they don’t extend him now, he remains trade-eligible. An extension could trigger a six-month trade restriction, depending on the terms.
For now, the Wizards don’t appear eager to move him. Reporting throughout the offseason has repeatedly suggested Washington is not looking to trade the big man, though that stance could still shift depending on how the first half of the season unfolds.
Davis is under contract for about $58.5MM in 2026/27 and has a $62.8MM player option for 2027/28. If he waits until after the regular season begins to negotiate a new deal, he would need to give up that player option and replace it with the first year of the extension.
A max extension could start at 105% of his 2026/27 salary and reach as much as $275MM over four years. Robbins notes it’s tough to picture Washington putting that kind of offer in front of a 33-year-old with a recent injury history, even though the franchise did show last month with Trae Young’s four-year, $212MM+ deal that it’s willing to pay big money to keep veteran talent.
When Davis is on the court, though, he still produces. In 20 games for Dallas last season, he put up 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 blocks in 31.3 minutes per game while shooting 50.6% from the field.
In Other News...
Wizards Just Raised A Bigger Question About Their Final Roster Spot
The Wizards added another name to the back end of their roster by signing guard Alondes Williams, a move that comes with the kind of low-risk flexibility teams like to keep around at this point in the calendar. Williams arrives on an Exhibit 10 deal and gives Washington a little more depth in the backcourt, where the team has been sorting through options while trying to make sense of the last open spot on the roster.
It also keeps the conversation from settling, because this isnt just about one guard getting a look. With the roster still in flux and veteran possibilities still being weighed, Williams arrival could nudge Washingtons thinking in a different direction as it decides how to use that final opening. Whether the priority remains on the perimeter or shifts toward another part of the roster, the latest signing suggests the Wizards are still shaping the last piece rather than rushing to lock it in. [Read more 🡒]