Wizards Should Listen to Warriors' Anthony Davis Extension Warning

The Washington Wizards have a big financial decision to make over the coming months, and one failed suitor provided some intriguing insight regarding the star's hunt for his next extension.

Jan 27, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) talk during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Even in the moment, the validity of Anthony Davis' reported odds to get traded from the Washington Wizards to the Golden State Warriors seemed semi-dubious. The Wizards themselves had only just acquired the undervalued star mere months before, and their front office had already and repeatedly asserted their excitement to pair the 10x All-Star alongside the young corps in advance of Davis' long-awaited autumn debut.

All we can really ascertain from the flash-in-the-pan story, outside of the Warriors' lack of satisfactory return assets, is that neither team seriously considered the swap as much as the public immediately assumed. Draymond Green passed up on his player-option in lieu of opening financial room for Davis' hefty expiring contract, but he didn't take long to re-sign to the Warriors on an expensive deal of his own once it grew clear that LeBron James wasn't staying in California to unite the aging legends.

It appears that Davis is riding it out with the Wizards, though the league's rumor mill never stops churning out gossip. According to The Ringer's Logan Murdock, Golden State would have pushed harder for a Davis move if he weren't expecting a massive extension over the months ahead, and such an investment makes for a tough sell considering the injury history he's already amounted by age-33.

Mar 5, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Injured Washington Wizards forward Anthony Davis (M) watches from the bench against the Utah Jazz in the first halfat Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The figure he's got in mind isn't cheap; as of next week, he'll eligible for a four-year, $275 offer, and all eyes fall upon how the Wizards plan to handle the antsy superstar.

They've talked him out of his Wizards-centric doubts before, having already convinced him of their well-thought-out blueprint to contention before actually proving their aggression over this active offseason, but this task will be unlike any challenge they've had to manage. They'd be keen to heed the Warriors' warning in braving a potential stand-off, because paying Davis as much as he wants before he plays a single Wizards game could instantly go down as a franchise-altering mistake.

Why Should Davis be Approached with Caution?

As savvy as some of the Wizards' transactional work has been in the trade market, they haven't completely avoided controversy this summer, with most of the ire they've attracted tracing back to Washington's loyalty to its newest household names.

Trae Young had no problem cashing in following a year in which his league-wide valuation slipped to an all-time low. He signed on for his own four year contract shortly before the NBA Draft mere months after getting dealt straight up for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert.

That's not quite a franchise-crippler, even if many fans did cringe at the sight of the $53 million paycheck he'll annually accept. The organization will still have room to dole out necessary extensions to the key members of their young corps, but Davis signing on to the tune of an even more bloated agreement would seriously impede the optimistic future they've built up for themselves.

Mar 5, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Trae Young (3) celebrates with Wizards guard Tre Johnson (12) after a base against the Utah Jazz in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He doesn't need a decision as urgently as some would expect, nor are the Wizards expected to immediately cave to his demands. They'd be better off riding out the final guaranteed year of his existing contract in gauging how much he's got left to offer on the court, or perhaps trading him midway through the season if he's able to recoup a sufficient-enough amount of his old value.

The $58 million he's on the hook for in 2026-27 isn't pretty, let alone the near-$63 million option he has waiting to pick up this time next summer should he never get that extension offer. But just about anything is more preferable than an unnecessary Davis commitment through the 2020s -- if the Warriors, rapidly running out of avenues to salvage the latter Stephen Curry years, can see that, then the asset-deep Wizards should be able to show some restraint before recklessly shelling out for the All-Star.

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