Anthony Davis
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Anthony Davis is unlikely to be dealt before the trade deadline
The Washington Wizards made a big swing at the trade deadline by acquiring All-Star big man Anthony Davis. There is no doubt that Davis will one day enter the Basketball Hall of Fame to confirm his established greatness, but the future is risky. Davis has dealt with injury issues throughout the past few years to see the Dallas Mavericks completely giving up on him via this trade.
Recent reports indicated that Davis would sit out the rest of the season, but that may no longer be the case. Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins said the following about Davis’ rehab with the franchise:
“The plan for A.D. right now is to go back to Dallas and finish his rehab. He has a really good team down there. Our doctors met with them, and our medical staff’s going to go down with him. So, we want to keep that good thing going that he has.”
Davis is working with his personal doctors in Dallas after he ran into multiple injury concerns throughout this season. Dawkins told the media that Davis is expected to continue progressing and said yes when asked being hopeful for a debut this season.
Davis & Trae Young Plans Are Unknown
Both trades for Davis and Trae Young showed the Washington plan of trading for star talent at the lowest possible value. The Wizards added two potential All-Stars without giving up any of their young assets. Washington will hope the two stars and young prospects lead to a winning season next year once everyone is healthy.
However, Davis and Young could both return this season. Dawkins said he’s hopeful for Davis to play this season, and Young has an even better timetable to return. The most recent report confirmed that Young will be re-evaluated by the Wizards after the All-Star break.
Washington must decide between introducing their new stars to fans or committing themselves to tanking for the lottery. Current odds see the Wizards holding a strong chance to get one of the top three desired prospects as the fourth worst team in the league. Davis and Young playing well could harm their chances of getting the best possible draft pick.
Davis Didn’t Fully Commit To Wizards
Another interesting element of this story is Davis taking a “wait and see” approach to his future playing for the Wizards. Next season is the last guaranteed year on Davis’ contract as another reason for why the Mavericks decided to trade him.
Davis was blunt while revealing he’s not certain about staying in Washington long-term due to the franchise’s recent history of losing in his first press conference. However, he has a year and change to give the franchise a chance to win him over.
Few other teams having trade offers for Davis show that his value has hit rock bottom in the NBA due to the injuries. Washington being the only team who expressed interest already gives them a strong chance to retain him. Davis debuting this season could be a positive for the Wizards to start winning him over early to lock him up long-term.