How Wizards getting No. 1 pick could change Anthony Davis saga

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How Wizards getting No. 1 pick could change Anthony Davis saga

Joshua Valdez, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Fri, May 15, 2026 ·

7 min read

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At long last, the Washington Wizards are poised to add a superstar prospect to their young core after three seasons of bottoming out to chase draft lottery luck. They landed the No. 1 overall pick on Sunday for the first time since 2010, giving them the choice between BYU forward AJ Dybantsa , Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Duke forward Cameron Boozer . They took Dybantsa in ClutchPoints' latest mock draft .

One of those players will join a roster featuring four-time All-Star point guard Trae Young and five-time All-NBA big man Anthony Davis , whom the Wizards acquired this past season. That trio, along with young supporting pieces like big man Alex Sarr , guard/forward Kyshawn George and guard Tre Johnson will have the potential to lead Washington to its best season since it last made the playoffs in 2021.

Whether Davis stays on the squad for the whole campaign is the second-biggest question around the organization, behind who it will draft at No. 1. The 33-year-old has openly admitted that he's unsure about his future with the Wizards, as he wants to win another title and the team isn't ready for that yet.

"We have a lot of [talented young guys], and adding Trae and myself can [help the team win]," he said during his exit interview on April 13. "But I've been in this league a long time, and I've been on losing teams. It's very hard to be a losing team and then a championship contender…When I was in New Orleans , we had two losing seasons and made the playoffs in our third year. That in and of itself is a huge jump, showing that you want to be on the path to winning…That's what I would like to see. What is our plan for winning going into next season? And how do we execute that? Based on that, we'll see what happens."

Days before that, Davis also said on "The Draymond Green Show" that he wants to compete for a championship every year for the rest of his career. While Washington could make the playoffs, hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy is not realistic for the organization next season. As the future Hall of Famer said, it's unlikely for a team to reach the top right after multiple years at the bottom.

However, Davis doesn't have the leverage to dictate his future. The 6-foot-10, 253-pounder has played 65-plus regular-season games in only one season since 2017-18 and has played just 71 over the last two campaigns, so it will be difficult to convince an NBA front office to give him a top-dollar contract extension if he doesn't become more available.

Davis is owed $58.4 million in 2026-27 before a $62.7 million player option for the following season, per Spotrac. That gives the 10-time All-Star a maximum of two seasons to prove that he can avoid injury before his next deal, and he might not need that much time if he excels with the Wizards.

For example, Washington could send Davis to a championship contender for young players and/or assets if he plays the majority of the games before the trade deadline while averaging somewhere around his career numbers of 24 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game. That contender could also extend the former Kentucky Wildcat, or it could be a sign-and-trade.

On the other hand, it may be difficult for a championship-caliber squad to fit Davis under the salary cap midseason. In that case, it would be easiest for the five-time All-Defensive honoree to stick around until next offseason, when the Wizards might have loftier goals.

Wizards could form championship core with Anthony Davis

Washington will draft whoever it deems the best player available between the aforementioned prospects on June 23, regardless of their on-court fit with Davis. But if that player compliments the veteran superstar, then the latter individual may change his tune about his future in the nation's capital.

For instance, either Dybantsa or Peterson could share the starting lineup with Davis next year, but it would be a different story with Boozer. The latter player would likely come off the bench with Davis starting next to Sarr at power forward and center, in either order. Therefore, it would be awkward to extend Davis with Boozer as the long-term cornerstone.

However, Dybantsa could play small forward with Young at point guard and George at shooting guard, or Peterson at shooting guard with George at small forward. Assuming that the Wizards extend Young this offseason , they could sell Davis on staying long-term with that squad in addition to other win-now pieces after next season.

Team president Michael Winger said on Jan. 22 that the organization will evaluate which of its young players "will make material contributions to our eventual contention, and which will make their most meaningful contributions somewhere else" over the next six-to-18 months. Two weeks later, Washington shipped out guards AJ Johnson and Malaki Branham in the Davis trade , who were first-round picks in 2024 and 2022, respectively.

That won't be the last time the Wizards consolidate their young players into one or two veteran pieces. Including Sarr, George, and Johnson, they have 12 players who will be 25 or younger to start next season, and the lottery prospect will be the 13th. There are only so many available rotation spots, which is why Washington eventually must decide which ones to keep.

If Davis likes the team's inevitable consolidation moves, he could sacrifice the chance of winning a title next season for being on a championship-contending Wizards squad in 2027-28 and beyond. It'll take financial gymnastics for the front office to fit Young, Davis, Sarr, George, and possibly more contract extensions under the salary cap long-term, but that's not a current issue.

For now, the organization can look forward to adding a transformational talent in June and having its young core learn from Davis. The Chicago native opened up to ClutchPoints about how much he's enjoyed working with Sarr during his exit interview.

"Alex is really good. He's young, has the same capabilities as me…I just found out three days ago that I'm one of his favorite players and he watched me all the time," he said. "I'm like, 'Why didn't you tell me this earlier? We've been working.' But he's really skilled. He can play both ends of the floor, shoot the basketball, put it on the floor. His defensive capabilities are unmatched. He can guard one through five, protect the rim, pick-and-roll. It's been great to work with him and show him some moves and talk him through some things. He's like a sponge; he asks questions. It's gonna be beneficial for him and the team…"

Sarr averaged 16.3 points on 48.2% shooting (33.3% 3-point) with 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and two blocks over 27.2 minutes last season despite playing most of his games without Young and all of them without Davis. The 21-year-old exemplifies a young Wizard who could take a leap next season as he finally plays with All-Stars.

Regardless, Washington has flexibility. Davis could either be with the championship version of the team or traded for someone who will be, but he'll help its young core develop either way.

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