Report: Anthony Davis’ issues changed Warriors’ Jimmy Butler plans

The Golden State Warriors might have won the LeBron James sweepstakes if they had pulled off a trade to acquire Anthony Davis from the Washington Wizards.

But Davis’ durability issues (and stance on contract extension) ultimately led the Warriors to abandon the idea of trading Jimmy Butler to the Wizards for Davis, according to Logan Murdock of The Ringer.

“At summer league in Las Vegas, a small contingent of Golden State’s front office pushed for that path, but AD’s injury history and desire for a new extension ultimately convinced team brass to stay put,” Murdock wrote.

Davis has all the talent to make a team a title contender, but his availability has been a constant source of headaches throughout his career. Last season, he appeared in only 20 games with the Dallas Mavericks before being dealt to the Wizards just before the trade deadline. The Wizards never had him in uniform the rest of the way because of hand and groin injuries.

Plus, even if the Warriors had pushed through with a trade for Davis, there was never any guarantee it would have persuaded James to take his talents to the Bay Area. Golden State seemingly just did not want to push so many of its chips to the center of the table for nothing more than a chance to get rewarded by James’ signature.

At the same time, Butler is also likely to miss several games in the 2026-27 season after suffering a serious knee injury in the last campaign.

With James choosing to go to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Warriors are merely left with what-ifs.