ESPN report casts doubt on Anthony Davis' extension chances

When the Dallas Mavericks began shopping Anthony Davis this season, agent Rich Paul made it clear that getting his client an extension was a priority. Then the Mavericks sent Davis to the Washington Wizards without consulting the player or his powerful agent.

The Wizards acquired the 10-time All-Star big man for a package primarily made up of expiring salaries and mediocre draft picks. While the Wizards may be interested in keeping Davis long-term, it's telling that Davis and Paul had no idea he was heading there before the trade actually happened.

Wizards have plenty of salary-cap space — for now

It's been a long, slow rebuild for the Wizards, beginning when they traded Russell Westbrook in 2021. Since then, they've unloaded Bradley Beal, forward Kyle Kuzma, Daniel Gafford and Rui Hachimura in a roster teardown designed to get as many draft picks as possible.

They also amassed a great deal of salary-cap space, which they're using in the short term on Davis and Trae Young, who they acquired in a similar salary dump. Both Davis and Young have been injured for most of the season, but are on the books next season for a combined $107.4M. Young has a player option for $49M in 2026-27, while Davis has a whopping $62.8M player option the following year.

Both players could negotiate new deals this summer, when Davis becomes extension-eligible. That seems more likely for Young, who revealed that the Wizards were his preferred destination before the trade. It's also more likely because Young has added leverage with his player option, making it simpler for him to take a lower 2026-27 salary to get more guaranteed years and money.

While the Wizards can comfortably afford these expensive stars now, young players like Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George will start to get expensive in 2028, Tre Johnson in 2029 and a potential Cam Whitmore extension would start in 2027-28.

Anthony Davis and Rich Paul have lost leverage

It's unusual for a star player to get blindsided by a trade. It's happened to Davis twice in a year, first when the Los Angeles Lakers traded him to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic, and then with the deal to the Wizards. The Brow certainly expected a trade from the Mavericks, but not that he wouldn't have any say in where he went.

Davis and Paul simply can't dictate terms the way they might have before AD's most recent series of injuries. Since Jan. 28, 2025, Davis has suited up for only 29 games. ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported that his most recent hand injury derailed trade talks with the Atlanta Hawks and any subsequent extension plans.

By contrast, Paul worked with the Los Angeles Clippers on the trade that sent James Harden for Paul's Klutch Sports client Darius Garland, because the Cavs had urgency to get the deal done. The Wizards don't have any pressure to complete a Davis extension because he's signed for two seasons and hasn't shown he's healthy.

If there was widespread interest in locking Davis down past 2027-28, the Wizards wouldn't have been able to add him for an Oklahoma City Thunder first in 2026 (projected to be No. 30) and a Golden State Warriors first in 2030 protected for picks 1-20.

Davis didn't command a big trade price. He won't command a big extension yet, either.