Anthony Davis has played more than 60 games just once since the 2019-2020 season. Yet he’s in position to make almost $300M on an extension with his current team, the Washington Wizards. This is the price tag for declining superstars. Davis hasn’t shot over 30 percent from three since that season. He’s shot 80 percent or higher from the free throw line just once since that season.
Wizards Not Ready To Offer Injury-Prone Anthony Davis $275M Extension
Some would say Washington would be out of its mind to give a player with the nickname “glass man” or “tin man”, a four-year, $275M deal. Others believe that Davis is still a go-to player and will complement newly acquired Trae Young and No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa really well.
Shams Charania reported that both sides will wait until the season plays out a while to sign any extensions.
“Sources tell me the Wizards and Anthony Davis have decided to table contract extension talks and wait until they are into the regular season for that and see where the team is at …both sides allowing the first 20 games to marinate and allow both sides to come to a decision on whether there will be a contract extension or not,” Shams said.
Shams says it’s far from a done deal.
“There are unanswered questions from both sides. For Anthony Davis it’s the unknown of how the team looks this year. How competitive the Wizards will be. Their playing style and also the future direction of the Wizards,” Shams continued.
“For the Wizards there are questions about Anthony Davis’ health. How he performs and their ability to take the next step and make that jump,” Shams explained.
Shams mentioned the Wizards are expecting to take a next step toward contending in the all of a sudden loaded Eastern Conference, featuring the NBA World Champion Knicks and the team LeBron James just joined in Philly.
So the first 20 games will give both sides a chance to see if committing all of that money to Davis is in the team’s best interest.
Should Wizards Have Traded AD & Used Picks To Build Around AJ Dybantsa
If the Wizards let a declining Davis fleece them for that much money, then shut the franchise down. Let AD walk, save that money and keep building pieces. Pieces that are healthy and will be available to play. NBA fans and lowly franchises that need a name to generate interest and ticket sales have this obsession with over-the-hill and injury-prone superstars. As if they will miraculously be healthier as they grow older.
We all know what AD is capable of. He’s a walking double-double and some believe he’s one of the Top75 players in history. But he’s been pretty much irrelevant since he helped LeBron James win that bubble championship. He falls in the Joel Embiid category. Phenomenal talent, but it’s like playing Russian roulette counting on him to be healthy or be able to show those skills when it really counts.
Fans React To Anthony Davis News
NBA fans were largely against the Wizards paying AD all that scratch.
“Waiting until the regular season is code for we want to see if the glass man can actually stay healthy for more than 40 games,” one fan said.
“$275M for a guy who’s never played a single meaningful game in a Wizards jersey is pure insanity. Wait all you want,” another agreed.
“What’s the over under on games played for AD this upcoming season? I’m at 53.5 and I’m taking the under,” a fan predicted.
One fan posted a graphic with statistical proof of Anthony Davis’ frequent absences during the season.
One fan replied to the graphic, saying: “I am so glad my team don’t have to overpay AD anymore.”
Is Anthony Davis Worth $275M To The Washington Wizards?: Can’t Trust It
If I’m Wizards GM Will Dawkins I couldn’t possibly pay Davis all of that money after watching him be unavailable the past few seasons. Before they got LeBron, the Sixers made a mistake and signed an aging Paul George to a huge four-year, $212 million deal in July of 2024. He was supposed to be the final piece to complement Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The writing was all over the wall that this was a bad move.
Prior to coming to the Sixers, in his five seasons with the Clippers, George played more than 55 games just twice. The Sixers seemed to think he would turn back the clock, but he only played 78 games in two seasons and averaged less than 20 points per game for the first time in his career (over a full season). Now he’s on the Boston Celtics.
AD says he’s going to play 82 games this season.
It’s clear that some organizations aren’t serious about winning championships but definitely don’t want their fans to think they aren’t trying. So they throw big money at names that haven’t held the same weight for years and more often than not the fans naively play — and pay — right into it.
