After selecting AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and signing Trae Young to a four-year, $212 million extension earlier this week, the Washington Wizards have made it clear who their future is built around.
But with draft night officially in the rear-view mirror, the next domino to fall is whether 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis still fits into those long-term plans.
Following the conclusion of the draft, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said the organization wants to
keep Davis in Washington, and set a timeline for contract talks to begin later this summer.
“With AD again, he wants to be here and we want him here,” Dawkins said on ESPN. “We’ll have that conversation in the middle of August when we can officially have that.”
Washington acquired Davis from the Dallas Mavericks in an eight-player trade on Feb. 4 with hopes that the veteran big man could help stabilize a rebuilding franchise that finished last in the Eastern Conference each of the past two seasons.
But the Wizards’ timeline changed dramatically after landing Dybantsa with the first overall pick and locking up Young as the face of the offense. Now the front office must determine whether a 33-year-old Davis fits alongside two players expected to anchor the franchise as it seeks an identity that includes more then 20 wins in a season.
Davis remains one of the NBA’s premier two-way players when healthy, giving Washington an elite defender and interior scorer to complement Young’s and Dybantsa’s playmaking. But the same time, committing to another massive contract for an aging star could limit the franchise’s financial flexibility as its young core develops.
Davis has one guaranteed year remaining on his contract, worth $58.5 million in 2026-27, and holds a $62.8 million player option for the following season. Beginning Aug. 6, he’ll become eligible to sign a four-year extension worth as much as $275 million.
That presents a difficult decision for a front office balancing immediate competitiveness with long-term roster construction.
Over the past five seasons, Davis has averaged just 48.6 regular-season games, making durability another key factor as Washington evaluates whether to make a long-term commitment.
While Davis has surfaced in trade speculation since arriving in Washington, Dawkins’ comments suggest the Wizards’ priority is exploring an extension rather than moving the veteran forward.
The organization appears intent on seeing whether Davis can help bridge the gap between its current roster and the future built around Dybantsa and Young. Whether that bridge extends another four years will likely depend on the conversations that begin in August.
For now, it feels like Washington believes Davis wants to stay, but the bigger question is whether he still fits the timeline of a franchise whose future is rapidly getting younger by the season.
