The Washington Wizards traded for Anthony Davis at the February deadline, and at 33 years old and after another season destroyed by injuries, he clearly isn’t an NBA superstar anymore. Davis put up 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.7 blocks in only 20 games for the Mavericks during the 2025-26 season, shooting 50.6% from the field, 27.0% from three, and 72.8% from the free-throw line.
There isn’t any doubt that Davis is still an excellent player, because he remains an elite defensive anchor around the paint, he can defend several positions, dominate the glass, and score around 20 points without needing the offense to run through him. He is still one of the most respected and feared two-way big men in the NBA, but the problem is pretty obvious: the Wizards haven’t seen him play one second in their uniform.
Davis didn’t appear in one game after the trade because of ligament damage in his left hand, while the Wizards had no reason to rush him back during a season where losing was actually helping them. Washington finished 17-65, secured the No. 1 pick and selected AJ Dybantsa, so the plan worked perfectly, but now the Wizards must make a massive contract decision without knowing how Davis looks beside Trae Young, Dybantsa and Alex Sarr.
The Wizards also acquired Davis for a relatively cheap package because he arrived with a lot of baggage. He will become eligible for a four-year extension worth around $275.0 million, and his camp is expected to ask for the full amount after reportedly wanting the same type of security from the Mavericks. I simply don’t think Davis is worth that money anymore, especially after playing only 20 games last season and only 279 of a possible 492 regular-season games over the last six years.
Washington already gave Young a four-year, $212.0 million extension, but that deal is much easier to understand. Young was 27 years old and had averaged 24.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and an NBA-leading 11.6 assists in 76 games during the 2024-25 season, so the Wizards were paying a prime-age point guard who can carry an elite offense and make life easier for every young player around him.
The Davis situation is much more complicated, because the Wizards can’t lose him for nothing after trading two first-round picks, but they also can’t give him $275.0 million only because they are scared he might ask out. Davis apparently wanted a max extension from the Mavericks, and there have already been questions about whether he would stay happy if the Wizards aren’t competitive quickly, so Washington must find a middle point between protecting the trade and protecting its future.
So, should the Wizards extend Davis before the season, or should they wait and see exactly what they acquired?
The Main Issue
The biggest issue is Davis’ injury history, because the numbers are impossible to ignore at this point. He played 36 games in 2020-21, 40 in 2021-22, 56 in 2022-23, 76 in 2023-24, 51 in 2024-25, and only 20 last season, which is only 56.7% availability, and the Wizards would be giving him a contract that could run through his age-37 season.
Davis had one excellent health year in 2023-24, but one season can’t erase five other seasons where his team had to constantly manage injuries, absences and changing rotations.
Last season was another clear warning. Davis dealt with a groin injury before suffering ligament damage in his left hand, which kept him out from January through the end of the season. The Wizards were rebuilding and had no reason to push him back, but that doesn’t change the fact that he played only 20 games and now wants an extension worth almost $70.0 million per season.
Davis will already earn $58.5 million in 2026-27, and he has a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28. The Wizards aren’t dealing with a player who needs immediate financial security just to avoid free agency, because Davis already controls more than $120.0 million over the next two seasons if he picks up that option.
That should give Washington patience. There isn’t any reason to hand him another four guaranteed seasons before training camp, especially when the franchise hasn’t seen whether his body can handle 60 games, whether he is willing to play center consistently or whether his fit with Sarr creates enough spacing.
The competitive side is also difficult, because Davis has made it clear that he understands the Wizards have been a bad team and that becoming a contender won’t happen immediately. He later pushed back against reports that he was already unhappy, but a 33-year-old champion obviously isn’t going to love spending the end of his prime on another lottery roster.
There hasn’t been a formal trade request, and the Wizards have reportedly rejected interest from teams such as the Warriors, but that situation can change quickly if Washington starts 10-25 and Davis is healthy enough to help a contender. The Wizards need to understand that his timeline and Dybantsa’s timeline aren’t the same, because Davis wants to compete now while Dybantsa and Sarr might need two or three years before they are ready to win playoff series.
That is why giving Davis a max extension before the season would be dangerous. It wouldn’t guarantee that he stays happy, it wouldn’t guarantee that he stays healthy and it wouldn’t guarantee that the Wizards become a playoff team, but it would guarantee that Washington owes a huge amount of money to an aging big man.
Is Davis Still Worth A Max Deal?
Davis is still good enough to earn a massive salary for one or two seasons, but I don’t think that automatically makes him worth a four-year max extension. Those are two completely different questions.
His defense remains elite. Davis averaged 11.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in only 31.3 minutes last season, while still having the size and mobility to protect the rim, defend pick-and-roll actions and switch onto guards for short possessions. Putting him behind Young would immediately improve one of the biggest weaknesses on the roster, because Young needs a serious rim protector covering mistakes behind him.
Davis could also help Sarr. Instead of forcing Sarr to defend the strongest center every night, the Wizards could use him more as a roaming defender and weak-side shot blocker, which is probably the best role for his skill set. A Davis-Sarr frontcourt has enormous defensive potential if both players are healthy and comfortable changing assignments.
The offensive argument isn’t as strong. Davis averaged 20.4 points last season, his lowest scoring average since his second NBA season, while shooting only 27.0% from three. He is still excellent as a lob target, post scorer, offensive rebounder and finisher around the rim, but he isn’t a No. 1 option who can create every shot when the offense gets stuck.
Young will handle most of the creation, and Dybantsa is expected to become the main scoring option eventually, which means Davis would be getting close to $70.0 million per season to become the third offensive option and defensive anchor. That can work on a championship team, but the Wizards aren’t close enough to that level to justify the risk right now.
Max contracts should normally be reserved for players who can change the direction of a franchise by themselves, either through elite scoring, elite creation, MVP-level two-way production or strong availability across an entire season. Davis still provides elite defense, but he hasn’t shown reliable availability, and he isn’t the type of offensive creator who can carry a weak roster through 82 games.
His situation is similar to Zion Williamson in one important way. The talent is obvious, the production is strong whenever he plays, and every team can imagine the best possible version, but the contract must be paid during injuries too. Washington can’t evaluate Davis only through his 20 healthy games, because the other 62 games count just as much when building a roster and managing the salary cap.
There is also no reason for the Wizards to pay him before seeing the fit. They haven’t seen the Young-Davis pick-and-roll, they haven’t seen how Davis and Sarr share defensive responsibilities, and they haven’t seen whether Dybantsa can develop properly while two veterans control a large part of the offense.
Giving him the full extension now would mean Washington accepts almost every risk while receiving no discount. That doesn’t make sense.
What Should Washington Do?
The Wizards should wait until the season gives them an actual answer. Davis can become eligible for the extension in August, but Washington doesn’t need to sign him immediately, and the team can continue negotiating during the season.
The first thing the Wizards need to evaluate is his health. Davis should play at least 55 to 60 games before Washington considers a serious long-term offer, because another season around 30 or 40 appearances would confirm that the injury risk is still too large.
The second thing is his performance. Davis doesn’t need to average 28 points, but he should remain around 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks while shooting above 50.0% from the field and leading a strong defense. If those numbers fall while his availability remains poor, the max conversation should end immediately.
The third thing is the standings. Washington doesn’t need to become a top-four seed, but the Wizards should at least be around the Play-In race by January. If Young, Dybantsa, Sarr and Davis can produce a competitive team, then keeping Davis makes much more basketball sense.
If the Wizards are around .500, Davis is healthy, and the defense looks much better, I would offer him a two-year extension worth around $90.0 million, or possibly three years and around $125.0 million with protections in the final season. That is still major money, but it wouldn’t lock the franchise into four extra years.
The deal should also include availability protections. Washington could fully guarantee the first year while making later guarantees depend on Davis reaching around 60 games or a certain minutes total during the previous season. The Pelicans used similar protections with Williamson, and the Wizards should use every possible tool to reduce the risk.
Davis might reject that offer because his camp reportedly wants the maximum, but Washington shouldn’t negotiate against itself. Davis already has $58.5 million guaranteed next season and controls a $62.8 million option for the following year, so the Wizards shouldn’t act as if he can simply walk away in a few weeks.
If Washington is far below the Play-In race before the February deadline, Davis has missed another large group of games, or the frontcourt fit isn’t working, the Wizards should trade him. Teams trying to win a championship will always call for a healthy Davis because his defense can change a playoff series, and the Warriors have already shown interest.
Trading him wouldn’t mean the Wizards lost the original deal. They acquired Davis at a reduced price, gave themselves a chance to test the fit, and could still recover players or draft capital if the experiment fails. The real mistake would be giving him $275.0 million and then discovering six months later that the roster still isn’t competitive.
Washington should stay patient. Davis can still be one of the best defensive players in the NBA and could become a perfect veteran next to Young, Dybantsa and Sarr, but the Wizards need to see that version before paying for it.
The answer before the season is no. Anthony Davis shouldn’t receive a four-year, $275.0 million extension after playing only 20 games last season and zero games for the Wizards. Let him play, let the team compete, and make the decision with actual evidence instead of his name and past achievements.