Source: Wizards intent on shunning trade offers for Anthony Davis
The Washington Wizards have no interest in trading All-Star forward Anthony Davis and are not listening to offers for him, a source told Andscape's Marc J. Spears on Tuesday.
Davis is eligible for a contract extension that he can sign for up to four years and $275 million starting Aug. 6. The first year of the extension would replace a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28.
Talk of a potentialDavis trade came up earlier this week.
The Golden State Warriors are planning to pursue LeBron James in free agency, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania on Monday. Golden State forwardDraymond Greenalso declined his $27.6 million player option that day, which would open up the flexibility for the Warriors to pursue James and a possible trade with the Wizards for Davis, league sources told Charania. That would reunite former Lakers teammates Davis and James in San Francisco.
Green, James and Davis are represented by the same agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul.
League sources told Charania and ESPN's Anthony Slater that a Warriors pursuit of Davis could be used as a motivational tactic to lure James to Golden State. The two won a championship together in 2020 with the Lakers, and they have remained close friends. However, there has yet to be tangible movement on the Davis front, league sources said.
If the Warriors pursue Davis, their matching salary would almost assuredly have to include superstar wing Jimmy Butler, who is nearly four months removed from ACL surgery. Butler will be making an expiring $56.8 million next season. Davis will be making $58.4 million in 2026-27.
Dating back to the February trade deadline, the Warriors have relayed to Butler behind the scenes that they prefer and plan to keep him.
The Wizards have viewed Davis and point guard Trae Young as pillars of their rebuild. Washington acquired the veterans last season with the plan that they will elevate the Wizards to a playoff contender this season and also mentor the team's young core that features 2026 No. 1 draft pick AJ Dybantsa and third-year centerAlex Sarr.
The Wizards agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $212 million for Young to stay.
They believe Young and Davis will enter next season highly motivated after both were traded by their previous teams.
One NBA team executive told Spears that Wizards general manager Will Dawkins is a huge fan of Davis.
"What we're getting with both of them are players who are motivated and have a chip on their shoulder, as well," Dawkins told ESPN of Young and Davis in May at the NBA draft lottery. "Obviously, our young guys want to get out there and prove that they can do it, as well. But I think you're walking into a storm of motivation from the coaching staff to our young developmental players that want to take their next step as things they want to prove and establish themselves.
"But also, Anthony Davis was coming off of being on two teams [Lakers andDallas Mavericks] in two years and Trae Young, the way he leftAtlanta, you're finding guys that want to be in D.C. and want to compete together and I think have some chips on their shoulders. Those are the horses we want to put our bets on."br/]
