Anthony Davis is still chasing the kind of stretch that could make Klay Thompson’s old worry look misplaced, but the Washington Wizards aren’t built to prove that point just yet.
That concern traces back to last week’s reporting from Christian Clark of The Athletic, who noted that one reason Thompson picked the Mavericks over the Lakers in 2024 was his uncertainty about Davis’ availability. Thompson wanted the best path to another title and believed Dallas gave him that. Now he’s with the Heat for the same reason.
Washington would love to get in the way of that kind of thinking, but the roster isn’t close to championship territory yet. Even after adding Davis and Trae Young and drafting AJ Dybantsa, the Wizards still sit well behind the top of the East, especially after this offseason. They should be improved from last season, but there remains a clear gap.
That means the most realistic version of this story is not Davis dragging Washington into the title picture. It’s Davis staying healthy enough to remind everyone he’s still one of the league’s best two-way players. That alone would matter for the Wizards, and it would also help his trade value.
For now, Washington can only use Davis as part of the process of showing he can hold up over time and still matter to a contender. But that kind of proof won’t come with the Wizards themselves unless a trade changes everything.
He can still make life difficult for Miami, though, and that’s where the Heat angle comes back in. Washington and Miami are scheduled to meet first on Dec. 3, giving Davis a chance to be a thorn in the side of a team chasing another climb to the top.
The Wizards are also keeping some distance for now, which says plenty. They have held off on extension talks, and Davis’ availability is part of that equation.
So the test is simple, even if the setting isn’t ideal. Davis can chip away at the doubt Thompson had two summers ago, but that doubt has now shifted from Thompson to Washington. And if he puts together the kind of run that changes the conversation, it could send him back toward a contender and leave Thompson wondering what he was thinking in 2024.
In Other News...
Rockets Fans May Hate What An Anthony Davis Pursuit Could Cost
Anthony Davis stay in Washington already comes with a layer of intrigue, and it is not just because he has been through multiple trades in recent seasons. He has made clear he prefers to play power forward next to a true center, and he has also said he believes he and Trae Young can help the Wizards climb into contender territory. For a team trying to stabilize its long-term picture, that kind of star alignment talk matters as much as whatever happens on the floor.
The complication is that Davis future is still being discussed in the same breath as his present, which is usually never a comfortable place for a front office to live. With extension conversations not expected to be revisited until after the start of the 2026-27 season, the Wizards are in a wait-and-see stretch while the league keeps circling his name. That uncertainty is what makes every new rumor around him worth watching, especially for a franchise trying to build something durable around him. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Suddenly Face A Real Bub Carrington Problem
Bub Carrington arrived in Washington as the 14th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft with the kind of long-term promise that usually comes with a first-round guard, but his path to steady minutes has been anything but straightforward. He has been used more as a part-time contributor than a locked-in piece, and the early read on his place in the rotation is complicated by a roster that already has multiple guards vying for the same opportunities.
Carringtons challenge is not just about getting on the floor, it is about finding the right lane once he gets there. The Wizards have a crowded backcourt, and recent additions have only tightened the squeeze, leaving his role unsettled as the season moves forward. For a young player still trying to carve out his identity, the next stretch will matter a lot in determining whether he becomes part of the core or just another name in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Face A Tough Roster Decision As Their Options Keep Shrinking
The Wizards have spent the offseason trying to thread a very specific needle, using trades to add veteran help rather than leaning on the free-agent market. Since the signing of Trae Young and their recent draft picks, Washington has not made a technical offseason signing in over two months, a sign of just how deliberate the front office has been as it looks for the right pieces to round out the roster.
But the pool of options has not exactly broken their way. The Wizards were linked to notable veterans as they searched for more stability, only to watch one potential target retire and another choose Denver instead, which has only sharpened the pressure on how Washington completes the rest of the group. With free agency thinning out and the team still preferring trades, the question now is less about whether the Wizards want to add and more about where they can still find someone willing to come in. [Read more 🡒]