The Washington Wizards made their move on Anthony Davis before the trade deadline, and they didn’t do it because they think he’s faded. They bought low, yes, but they also know exactly what they’re getting: one of the best two-way players in the world when he’s healthy.
That part still matters. Davis is coming off what was arguably his worst season since his rookie year, but even then he was one of only two players to average more than 20 points and 1.3 blocks per game.
The other was Victor Wembanyama. That’s the company Davis still keeps.
Washington is all-in on him, too. Other teams were calling to see if they could pry the future Hall of Famer loose and pair him with LeBron James, but the Wizards shut that down. They believe Davis is not just a star addition, but a key voice for a young roster that needs direction.
The injury history is long, and nobody in Washington is pretending otherwise. But the production has held up.
When Davis is on the floor, he still plays at an elite level, and he’s already recovered from the season-ending injury that ended his year. The Wizards expect him to hit the ground running.
Last season, Davis still finished eighth in rebounds per game and ninth in blocks per game despite appearing in only 20 games. His minutes were the lowest they’d been since his rookie year.
In 2025, he was fourth in blocks, seventh in rebounding, and 15th in points per game. That doesn’t even capture his passing or his ability to force turnovers.
That’s why the Wizards aren’t treating this like a reclamation project. They remember what Davis has been for years: a championship piece with the Lakers in 2020, a regular fixture in the All-Star Game, and a player good enough to make the NBA 75. Every time he steps on the floor, he reminds people why.
Washington has also leaned into one of Davis’s longtime preferences by making him a power forward. The team refused to move him for anything less than what it just paid, which tells you how strongly it feels about his fit and value.
And the fit could be dangerous if everything clicks. The Wizards traded for Trae Young and AD to contend, and AJ Dybantsa adds another layer to the picture. If Davis stays healthy and Trae Young spends more time off the ball, Washington could become one of the league’s biggest surprises.
The caution flag is obvious. Davis has averaged just 46.5 games per season over the last six years, and he’s hit the 65-game threshold for awards only once in the last eight years.
The injuries have been real. They just haven’t erased the production.
The hope in Washington is that playing him at power forward helps keep him on the court. It may take some of the pounding away from the paint, even if it affects his rebounding and shot blocking a bit. But the Wizards know what stars do, and they know Davis can still tilt a game.
Soon enough, they’ll see it for themselves. Anthony Davis is still one of the rare players who can score, rebound, and protect the rim at an elite level, and the only other name in that lane is Wemby. The question now is whether his health lets this next chapter last.
In Other News...
LeBron's Move Just Turned Up The Heat On Wizards Plans
LeBron James latest move has a way of rippling beyond the team that lands him, and the Wizards are now feeling some of that pressure as they sort through their own roster plans. Washingtons attention has been on Anthony Davis and the broader question of how aggressively to push forward with a player whose fit, value and contract status all matter to what comes next.
The timing makes the situation even more delicate. Davis camp and the Wizards have a decision point approaching, and the front office has to weigh the appeal of long-term certainty against the possibility of a more complicated path if the numbers do not line up. With James now off the board in a new place, the market around Davis could shift quickly, and Washington will have to decide whether to stay patient or act before the conversation gets louder. [Read more 🡒]