Wizards shut down all Anthony Davis trade rumors

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Wizards shut down all Anthony Davis trade rumors

Joshua Valdez, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Tue, Jun 30, 2026 ·

4 min read

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10-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis has yet to suit up for the Washington Wizards since they acquired him in February, but the Golden State Warriors still dreamed about adding him and LeBron James this summer. However, the Wizards will not trade the 33-year-old this offseason, per ESPN's Marc Spears.

"The Washington Wizards are not interested in trading 10-time NBA All-Star forward Anthony Davis and are not listening to trade offers for him, a source told ESPN and Andscape," he reported on Tuesday. "Another NBA team exec says Wizards GM Will Dawkins is a huge fan of AD."

The Wizards landed Davis from the Dallas Mavericks at the trade deadline last season in a deal that included several other players and assets. Washington also received guards Jaden Hardy , D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum and sent out forward Khris Middleton , guard AJ Johnson , guard Malaki Branham , center Marvin Bagley III , a 2026 first-round pick (via OKC), a top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick (via GSW), a 2026 second-rounder (via PHX), a 2027 second-rounder (via CHI) and a 2029 second-rounder (via HOU).

Davis is owed $58.45 million next season before a $62.78 million player option next summer, per Spotrac. The five-time All-NBA honoree played just 20 games last season due to hand and groin injuries, and his most recent appearance was on Jan. 8. He has also played 60-plus games just twice since the 2018-19 campaign.

However, Davis is still elite when healthy. The Chicago native's last All-Star appearance was in 2025, and he averaged 24.7 points on 51.6% shooting (28.2% 3-point) with 11.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.4 stocks (steals and blocks) over 33.4 minutes (51 games) that season. The Mavericks acquired him from the Los Angeles Lakers for superstar guard Luka Doncic that February before dealing him just a year later.

Washington may not be Davis' long-term destination, as he is eligible for a four-year, $275 million max extension and the franchise already agreed to a four-year, $212 million max contract with four-time All-Star Trae Young this summer. Plus, the organization has to decide which young players to extend, as guard Bilal Coulibaly is eligible for a new deal this offseason, while center Alex Sarr , wing Kyshawn George and guard Bub Carrington are eligible next offseason. Guard Tre Johnson and wing Will Riley are eligible the year after that.

Young is 27, and the other players on that list are on their rookie deals. Additonally, the Wizards drafted 19-year-old wing AJ Dybantsa No. 1 overall out of BYU on June 23, so they have little incentive to make a long-term investment in a player as old as Davis. That would be a win-now move, and Washington is focused on methodical growth after going 50-196 over the last three seasons.

Conversely, the Warriors want to maximize their window with future Hall of Famer Steph Curry, who turns 39 next March and is on an expiring contract. But the Wizards don't need to trade Davis before he rebuilds his value in the first half of next season.

Why Wizards are right to avoid Anthony Davis trade with Warriors

Washington could have extracted value out of Golden State in a Davis trade, as the latter team has all of its own first-round picks through 2033, with the 2030 pick being top-20 protected. If the Warriors had offered two or three unprotected firsts in addition to forward Jimmy Butler for salary-matching, it would be understandable for the Wizards to consider.

However, they are in a new era. Washington must prioritize winning rather than stacking assets moving forward, unlike the first three seasons under Dawkins and team president Michael Winger. Losing games and trading for picks helped the organization assemble its young core, but now it needs players more than picks.

At this point, retaining Davis is the best way to field a competitive squad entering the season. Once the future Hall of Famer proves that he can stay healthy, the Wizards can deal him before the Feb. 11 trade deadline.

If Davis plays most of the games up until that point, his value will be higher than it is now. Instead of flipping the three-time NBA blocks leader for draft capital, Washington could acquire a younger front-court replacement that fits its timeline better. That would help the squad compete for a playoff spot while still building for the future.

Until then, Davis will likely start at power forward alongside Sarr, forming a potentially elite rim-protecting duo. The latter player averaged two blocks over 27.2 minutes (48 games) last season and would've ranked second in the NBA had he played enough to get ranked. Meanwhile, Young will organize the offense at point guard after leading the league in assists in 2024-25, his most recent healthy campaign. Dybantsa also won the NCAA scoring title this past season.

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