A Trae Young's extension looms for the Washington Wizards, while a surprising suitor emerges for Anthony Davis, reshaping NBA futures.
There's new Wizards intel regarding Washington's newest pieces they added at the last trade deadline. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line's latest piece breaks it all down.
According to Fischer, the expectation is that the Wizards and Trae Young will agree to an extension this summer regardless of what happens with Anthony Davis' situation.
The Stein Line floated this idea around a while back, and now continues to report that the interest to lock up longterm remains apparent on both sides. Young has made it pretty clear based on his actions and words that he would like to play in Washington for the foreseeable future.
Young could sign an extension as early as July 6th, after the moratorium. However, he technically could opt out of his contract now and sign an extension. If he declines his player option, the new contract would have to be signed after the moratorium.
At general manager Will Dawkins' end of season press conference, he told the media they hadn't gotten very far in extension talks with Young yet.
"The season just ended; we have more conversations about what it's like to be here, what the season was like, and how we can make this place better for all our players," Dawkins said. "I think we'll have those conversations and hopefully come to a resolution where he's here for long term."
As for Anthony Davis, his name has swirled media circles all week following his recent comments on multiple platforms, and Chris Haynes saying he thinks there's a good chance to Davis is traded before the season.
Portland has emerged as a potential suitor to go after Davis, according to Fischer. He reports that the Blazers will likely pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo, but may pivot to Davis if they fall short in that venture.
According to Fischer, Portland showed interest in trading for Davis before Washington did.
“Sources say that the Blazers also contacted Dallas during the season to gauge the Mavericks' interest in a Grant-centric package sweetened with draft capital in exchange for Anthony Davis. Rather than trade for a player with 2 1/2 pricy seasons remaining on his contract at that point, Dallas shipped Davis to Washington in a deal that featured a modest return in terms of future draft picks but swiftly removed three burdensome contracts (Davis, D'Angelo Russell and Jaden Hardy) from the Mavericks' payroll.”
Davis, 33, has expressed his desire to compete for championships, and his recent words signify he believes Washington isn't there yet. However, Washington still could choose to hold on to Davis, as he's under contract for next season.
With the NBA Draft lottery looming on May 10th, whatever happens that afternoon may reshape Washington's thinking longterm.