After Sports Illustrated said he's unhappy with the trade, Anthony Davis debunks the speculation and talks about joining the Washington Wizards
Two days after the Washington Wizards pulled off what proved to be the highlight of the NBA trade deadline, a report surfaced that new forward/center Anthony Davis may not be happy about his new destination.
On an appearance on The Ryen Russillo Show on Friday, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated that he was told Davis "is not loving" the trade from Dallas to Washington. It turns out that is speculation, not fact.
Ben Standig of Last Man Standig pushed back on that notion after reporting hours later that talk of Davis being unhappy is not the truth.
“Ownership is great. Leadership is great,” Standig reported on his site. “Good young talent. Good city. A proven track record [from] Wizards general manager Will Dawkins. All good reasons to be optimistic.”
In an interview with The Athletic on Friday evening, Anthony Davis also pushed back on the notion he's unhappy with becoming a Wizard.
“The visit’s been great,” he said. “They definitely welcomed me with open arms, spent some time with Ted and Zach. It’s totally different from what they make it seem. I know it’s like, oh, they have the stigma of they’re not a good team. I haven’t seen the practice facility yet, but the arena is top-notch, world-class for sure. Seen the chefs and how they take care of the families. It’s been great.”
Davis did add that he also needs to "figure out what the actual plan is" to become not just a playoff team, but a contender, before assessing his long-term status.
"I want to see the plan, hear the plan, see the vision," Davis said. "Bringing Trae (Young) here and other things in store, what they’re thinking of doing, I want to have those conversations with them and see what happens."
The other side of the move was that Rich Paul, Davis' agent, confirmed that he not consulted on a trade with Washington, but downplayed the significance of that. The Athletic reported that Paul was made aware of a possible move around Darius Garland, who Paul also represents, before he was shipped from Cleveland to Los Angeles in exchange for James Harden.
Washington formally announced the trade on Thursday night, midway through the Wizards' road upset of the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons, though plans for a press conference have not yet been announced. The Wizards are expected to remain patient with Davis, who is expected to be sidelined for roughly another month due to a hand injury suffered against the Utah Jazz on Jan. 8, while the post-All Star break will give the front office a chance to watch Davis and Trae Young mesh with the young pieces.
After, the big question ahead of the front office is whether contract extensions materialize for both Davis and Young. While Young has a near-$49 million player option ahead of the final year of his five year contract will enter year two of his three year, $175 million contract with his status less clear. Davis made clear conversations with both Ted and Zach Leonsis along with the rest of the Wizards' leadership will need to continue before making a final assessment.
After winning the NBA championship during the COVID season and joining the franchise as a ten-time All Star and four-time All-NBA First Team selection, Davis now joins a Wizards team standing 14-36 with clear focus on draft position and keeping the top eight protected pick that's at risk of going to New York.
“At this point in my career, I want to compete for a championship,” Davis said. “Whether that’s here or elsewhere, I have no idea. It’s been phenomenal, everything they’re saying. Everything they’re showing me is nothing short of phenomenal. Now it’s about having an actual conversation about the team.”