Anthony Davis is being linked to a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to NBA writer Jake Fischer.
The Portland Trail Blazers would be “waiting with open arms” to trade for Davis, who was surprisingly sent by the Dallas Mavericks to the rebuilding Washington Wizards in a trade last February.
What happened?
Davis failed to play in even a single game for Washington due to a hand injury and now appears to be all but publicly pressuring the Wizards to trade him again.
The Wizards just committed a sizable amount of money to their star point guard Trae Young earlier in the day on Monday.
Why it matters for Anthony Davis
Davis is owed $58.5 million next season and has a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28, which might not be feasible for any team to hand out to him.
He becomes eligible for a new contract extension in August and is now reportedly seeking the max on any new deal.
What comes next?
The Blazers earned a surprise playoff berth this year at 42-40 but were still largely held back by a lack of reliable size.
Robert Williams III is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and now it sounds like Portland would be willing to roll the dice on Davis as a high-risk, high-reward frontcourt partner to 22-year-old shot blocker Donovan Clingan.
Davis, at 33 years old, is still a dominant force in the NBA, with 10 All-Star appearances under his belt.
The Blazers are looking to build on their playoff success, and acquiring Davis could be a major step in that direction.
As of Monday, the Wizards' plans for Davis are still unclear, but it's evident that they need to make a decision on his future soon.
The NBA offseason is always full of surprises, and a potential Davis trade could be one of the biggest stories of the summer.