The Golden State Warriors initially viewed Anthony Davis as the missing piece to tempt LeBron James to join them. Original offseason plans featured Golden State hoping to trade for Davis from the Washington Wizards and sign LeBron as a free agent to become a stronger contender next season. James is still considering the Warriors as he chooses a new team, but Davis may no longer be on the table.
Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins revealed that he’s not planning to trade Davis any time soon:
“We kind of don’t worry too much about that stuff. AD is in DC. He wants to be in DC. We’re going to keep him there. I think the important thing for us is just building off the summer and kind of making sure we’re ready to go at the beginning of the year.
He was out here with all of our guys. We had every single one of our team members here in DC for Game 1. So, we had all 17 guys on the roster here, and he was a big part of what we had going on working out, leading the group workouts for our veteran players.”
The most important part of the quote was the belief that Davis wants to be in Washington and is willing to make it his long-term NBA home. Future plans can change at the drop of a hat in the NBA, but it appears Davis is 100% starting the season as a Wizard.
Anthony Davis’ Contract Could Change Things
Davis currently only has one guaranteed year left on his contract as the main reason that opposing teams have expected him to hit the trade block. Last season’s trade deadline featured Washington taking a huge risk by trading for Davis from the Dallas Mavericks.
The Wizards tried to take advantage of low value All-Stars by trading for both Davis and then Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks. Davis made some comments that implied he was unsure about his future in Washington since they have rarely won in recent memory.
The great luck of winning the NBA Draft Lottery allowed the Wizards to draft AJ Dybantsa and add another potential star on the roster. Davis appears to be happier with the team’s direction and will possibly extend his deal if they have a good season. A bad start could lead to him requesting a trade to give Golden State a chance down the line.
Anthony Davis Won’t Help Golden State Land LeBron
The Warriors’ plan to use Davis as a way to sway LeBron is no longer a viable option. James can still join Golden State on his own volition, but they will not be able to add any other stars to sway him.
Davis is one of LeBron’s best friends in the league and it made perfect sense for the Warriors to try to reunite them. A Jimmy Butler for Davis trade would have both improved Golden State’s roster with Butler injured and helped the James chase.
It currently appears that LeBron will sign with one of the other teams, like the Cleveland Cavaliers or Miami Heat. The Warriors gave it their best shot, but they could not measure up to the other teams without adding Davis or another noteworthy player first.
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