Today – August 6 – marks the third anniversary of Anthony Davis signing his previous contract extension with the Lakers, which means he’s newly eligible to sign another extension with the Wizards. However, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, the two sides aren’t expected to engage in contract discussions right away.
While it’s common for a team and a player to explore a new extension during the offseason and then shut down talks during the season if they don’t get something done, the Wizards and Davis intend to take the opposite route, Robbins explains. League sources tell The Athletic that if the two parties have “meaningful” discussions about an extension, those discussions will occur during the 2026/27 season, not before it.
Robbins speculates that Davis and the Wizards want to learn more about one another before making a long-term commitment, given that the 10-time All-Star has yet to play a single game for the club. Davis was traded from Dallas to Washington at February’s deadline but missed the rest of the 2025/26 season due to a hand injury.
As Robbins writes, Davis participated in the Wizards’ optional mini-camp in July and has spoken glowingly about the team’s young core, but he also expressed some concerns in the spring about whether Washington will be able to quickly transform into a contender after having been one of the league’s worst teams for the past three years. He may want to see the Wizards in action this fall before seriously considering an extension.
The Wizards, meanwhile, might be more comfortable waiting to see if Davis looks healthy and productive this fall, given that he has appeared in just 62 total games over the past two seasons, including 20 in ’25/26. Not extending the 33-year-old at this point will also ensure he remains trade-eligible, whereas an extension could make him ineligible to be dealt for six months, depending on the exact terms.
For what it’s worth, reporting this offseason has repeatedly indicated Washington isn’t looking to move the big man, but it’s possible that stance could change depending on how the first half of the season plays out.
Davis will earn roughly $58.5MM in 2026/27 and holds a $62.8MM player option for the ’27/28 season. If he waits until after the regular season gets underway to negotiate an extension, he would have to eliminate the player option and replace it with the first year of his new deal.
A maximum-salary extension would start at 105% of Davis’ ’26/27 salary and could be worth up to $275MM over four seasons, though – as Robbins notes – it’s hard to imagine the Wizards would put that sort of offer on the table for a 33-year-old who has battled injuries in recent years. Still, the club showed when it gave Trae Young a four-year, $212MM+ deal last month that it’s willing to invest heavily in its veteran talent.
Davis continues to produce at a high level when he’s available. In his 20 outings for the Mavericks last season, he averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 blocks in 31.3 minutes per game while shooting 50.6% from the floor.