Wizards have – Washington says it has no interest in trading Anthony Davis and will not listen to offers, even as the Golden State Warriors explore a move for Davis alongside free agent LeBron James.
Anthony Davis may be the subject of plenty of off-season conversations, but Washington isn’t taking calls.
The Wizards have no interest in trading Anthony Davis and will not listen to offers for him, ESPN reported on Tuesday.
That message lands at a tense moment for the league’s biggest plans. On Monday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Golden State Warriors are interested in bringing Davis in, along with free agent LeBron James, to build a “super team” featuring Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Green’s role in that plan appears to have shifted. Charania reported Monday that Green opted out of his player option, and he is expected to re-sign with Golden State on a cheaper deal later in the off-season—steps designed to give the Warriors the flexibility to pursue Davis and James.
The push for Davis is also being treated as leverage in Golden State’s pursuit of James, ESPN reported. The idea is simple: the same franchise that wants to reshape its future is using Davis as a motivational tool to get James to Golden State.
James, for his part, made it clear where his head is this time around. On Tuesday, he announced that he won’t be returning to L.A. next season.
If the Warriors wanted to formalize a pursuit of Davis anyway, they would face a hard math hurdle. If Golden State did make an offer for Davis, they would have to include Jimmy Butler for salary-matching purposes.
For Washington, the stance feels even more absolute because the Wizards’ connection to Davis has been bruised by injury and timing. Washington acquired Davis in a mid-season trade from the Dallas Mavericks, but he never got into a game for the team as he recovered from multiple injuries.
Still, the Wizards see Davis as central to the next phase of their rebuilding plan. They view Davis and recently signed Trae Young as the pillars of their rebuild.
That longer view is backed by a major financial window. Davis is eligible for a four-year, $275-million extension with Washington starting on Aug. 6.
Anthony Davis Wizards Washington Golden State Warriors LeBron James Stephen Curry Draymond Green Jimmy Butler Trae Young NBA offseason