The Washington Wizards want Anthony Davis to stay. They just do not want to pay him what he is asking for.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported Thursday that the Wizards are refusing to give Davis a max contract extension. The 10-time All-Star has been pushing for a four-year, $275 million extension. Washington’s front office thinks that is too much for a 33-year-old big man with an injury history.
They are right to hesitate.
Why the Wizards Are Playing Hardball
Davis was traded from Dallas to Washington last February in a deal nobody quite understood. The Wizards were tanking. Davis was 32 and coming off a stretch of games missed to lower-body injuries. On paper, it looked like Dallas cleaning up the Luka Doncic mess by dumping a bad long-term deal.
Instead, Washington got a productive centerpiece. Davis played well. He mentored young pieces. He turned into a locker room voice for a franchise that badly needed one.
But paying him $70 million a year through his age-37 season is a different bet entirely. That is the kind of deal that torpedoes rebuilds. Ask the Portland Trail Blazers about the Damian Lillard exit era.
The Golden State Angle
The Warriors have made multiple runs at Davis this summer. The pitch was straightforward. Trade for Davis, reunite him with LeBron James, pair him with Steph Curry and Draymond Green, and make one final title push.
LeBron ended up in Philadelphia. That killed the emotional pitch. But the Warriors are reportedly still willing to send a package headlined by a six-time All-Star forward if Washington ever budges. So far the Wizards have said no.
General manager Will Dawkins is not interested in dismantling the young core he just built through the draft. AJ Dybantsa is the future. Alex Sarr is developing. Bilal Coulibaly is a two-way piece. Trading Davis for veterans is a step backwards.
Where This Ends
Davis has options. He can wait out this season and hit free agency in 2027 at age 34. He can force a trade if he does not get his extension. He can accept a shorter, smaller deal to stay in Washington and keep the door open.
The Wizards would prefer option three. They want him around as the veteran voice on a young team that is about to take the leap. But if Davis holds firm on his max demand, this becomes another Bradley Beal saga.
Remember Beal. Washington gave him a no-trade clause. He picked his exit spot. The franchise got nothing in return of value. Dawkins is not going to repeat that mistake.
The middle ground is probably a two- or three-year extension in the $200 million range with team-friendly guarantees on the back end. That protects the Wizards from a bad injury outcome and gives Davis real money. Whether he takes it is the question.
Watch this one closely. If it drags into training camp without a deal, the Warriors will be back on the phone by Christmas.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
