Washington Wizards forward Anthony Davis. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Wizards remain in full-blown tank mode with Anthony Davis-Trae Young injury news

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Apr 7, 2026 11:42 PM ET

The Washington Wizards are excellent at tanking.

Attribute that to poor decision-making, such as acquiring oft-injured stars, like forward Anthony Davis and guard Trae Young, who can't finish the regular season.

Wizards make Anthony Davis-Trae Young announcement

Before Washington's 129-98 home loss to the Chicago Bulls (30-49) on Tuesday, head coach Brian Keefe said neither Davis nor Young will play again this season, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network. The coach said the team tried to "ramp up" Davis (finger) but ran out of time. Young (quadriceps/back), meanwhile, isn't recovering as quickly as his teammate.

Young or Davis returning wouldn't have saved the season anyway. Washington (17-62) is well out of playoff contention with three regular-season games remaining. But the stars already have well-documented durability issues, which raise further concerns.

Wizards HC Brian Keefe said Anthony Davis and Trae Young are not expected to play again this season. They tried to ramp AD up, but ran out of time and Trae is behind AD in the process.
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) April 7, 2026

Davis, a 10-time All-Star, has played in 65 regular-season games or more five times in his 14-year career. Young, a four-time All-Star, has done so four times in eight seasons.

Davis last played (when he was still with the Dallas Mavericks) on Jan. 8. He averaged 20.4 points per game on 50.6% shooting from the field, 11.1 rebounds per game and 2.8 assists per game in 20 games.

Young — who last suited up on March 16 — has played five games for Washington since it acquired him in a deal with the Atlanta Hawks in January. In those contests, he recorded 15.2 PPG on 59.5% shooting from the field, three RPG and 6.2 APG.

The injury problems of Davis and Young could carry over into next season, creating more headaches for Washington, which hasn't made the playoffs since the 2020-21 season. At least it's in a position to stock up in the 2026 NBA Draft, which has a chance to be one of the best ever.

As of Tuesday night, Tankathon gives the Wizards a 14% chance to win the NBA Draft lottery and obtain the No. 1 pick, tied with the Indiana Pacers (18-61) and Brooklyn Nets (20-59) for the best odds. They have a 52.1% chance to land a top-four pick. They could use that potential selection to add a star who could replace Young or Davis, perhaps Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (6-foot-9, 250 pounds) or Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (6-foot-6, 205 pounds).

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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