Anthony Davis Wants to Stay. The Wizards Are Waiting. Here’s Why.

The Washington Wizards went all in at the trade deadline this past February. They landed Anthony Davis and Trae Young. They drafted AJ Dybantsa first overall. And then they handed Young a four-year, $212 million extension that more than a few people thought was too rich.

Now the other shoe is getting ready to drop. Davis becomes extension-eligible this summer. He’s 33. He has a $62.8 million player option for next season. And the Wizards are in no rush to hand him the bag.

Dawkins sets a timeline

Wizards general manager Will Dawkins made it clear after the second night of the NBA Draft that talks are coming, but not yet. “Anthony Davis wants to be here. We want him here. We’ll have that conversation in the middle of August when we can officially have that,” Dawkins told Greg Finberg of Bullets Forever.

That’s a strategic pause. Washington locked up Young early. They know Davis is older and has a long injury track record. They’re not about to repeat the same move twice without thinking it through.

The health question is real

Davis only played 20 games this past season. He dealt with a groin strain. Then a ligament injury in his hand ended his season before he ever suited up for the Wizards. He still hasn’t made his actual debut for the franchise. That’s a problem when you’re negotiating a contract that could be his last big one.

When he’s healthy, Davis is still a force. He averaged 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds. His defense alongside Alex Sarr could completely change a team that finished dead last in defensive rating a year ago. But the word “when” is doing a lot of heavy lifting there.

What Davis probably wants

This is almost certainly the last max-or-near-max contract of Davis’s career. He’s going to want years and dollars. The Wizards have to decide if giving both to a player pushing 35 with a fragile medical file is worth it. The front office seems to be taking its time on purpose. That’s not a bad thing.

The Wizards are building something. They have a young core. They have stars. But they also have to be smart. Rushing into a monster extension for Davis because they already gave one to Young is exactly how you lock yourself into a bad spot two years from now.

August is coming. So is the conversation.