Despite questions about whether Trae Young and Anthony Davis will play this season, the Washington Wizards' latest trade adds hope to the future
The Washington Wizards carried the NBA trade deadline headlines on Wednesday after news broke of the blockbuster trade to acquire forward Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks, adding a second dose of needed optimism into a fanbase that has been missing exactly that since arguably John Wall left the nation's capital.
The better news is the front office's ability to retain the top-eight protected pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, keeping Washington's key asset in the final stages of the rebuild.
But with that now lone first round pick to work with ahead of April, the question is will Washington do enough to not only retain it, but draw a possibly more favorable pick as fans have hoped throughout the season?
Washington remained tied with Brooklyn for the fourth-best odds at the top overall pick, though the Sacramento Kings' nine-game losing streak - highlighted by a four-point loss against Washington despite pulling the starters for the final 16 minutes - has them in position for the best odds to land the top overall selection in what is expected to be a loaded 2026 NBA Draft.
Davis, meanwhile, has been sidelined since suffering a hand injury suffered against the Utah Jazz back on Jan. 8. He now joins Trae Young as likely inactives with Washington remaining patient with the former Hawk until after the All-Star break next week.
While the expectation has remained that Young will be reassessed with the front office looking to see how he meshes with the young pieces ahead a pivotal offseason, the question remains how much fans get to see both on the court, whether at the same time or together. But Tim Bontemps of ESPN threw cold water on those flames after reporting on Wednesday that the expectation is that "Davis and Young will play very little, if at all, the remainder of the season."
Head coach Brian Keefe did offer an optimistic update about Young during his radio appearance on Wednesday, noting the new Wizard has been able to do a little bit more on-court work.
"He's doing some work in the gym, more uncontested work. We're doing some shooting. But we said this before, prior to prioritizing his health, that's the number one thing. But he is able to do a little bit on the court, which is nice to see,” he added.
While the team of course has yet to announce the official arrival of Anthony Davis, Washington has yet to officially announce any official return to play timeline for Trae Young as he remains sidelined for Thursday's game with the same listed injuries - right knee, an MCL sprain and a quad contusion. But it might serve as a 'win-win-win' for Washington. For a pair of veterans, they get much-needed rest with no rush to return. For Washington, they maintain focus on the chance to capitalize on prime draft position to add star power to a roster that has quietly stacked exactly that. And for fans, it offers additional incentive to get out to Capital One Arena with a chance for a competitive team in 2026-27.
The bigger question will be what moves the front office makes will make with both players this offseason with the two veterans with the initial expectation that both are expected to receive contract extensions this offseason.
While the tank lives on through the final two months of the regular season, there's officially reason to look ahead for Wizards fans with the rest of 2025-26 serving as a preview amid an expected slew of upcoming losses.