The Los Angeles Lakers fully bought in. They are winning games, 12 out of their last 13 to be precise. Moreover, the players are only focused on making the team better. There’s no time to look around the league. Rui Hachimura’s surprise proved that the Lakers won’t be making an exception for anybody.

Hachimura played with Anthony Davis for a few years. They shared a close relationship. Yet, after the game, Hachimura revealed why he was shocked to see AD on the Wizards bench. “I think it was funny. During the timeout, I was looking at the bench, and I saw AD, and I was shocked. I was like wait. I totally forgot about it,” said Hachimura.

He didn’t know the Dallas Mavericks dealt Davis again at the trade deadline. The former Lakers forward joined the Wizards, forming an exciting tandem with Trae Young. Albeit, it would be hard to notice for Hachimura. Anthony Davis has yet to play a game for the Wizards since moving to the team in February. He’s still dealing with a finger injury suffered against the Utah Jazz.

But now that Rui Hachimura does know about it, the Lakers forward hopes Davis finds a long-term future in Washington. Hachimura knows a little bit about the culture. He spent three years with the Wizards and stamped his claim as a highly energetic player. Likewise, Hachimura wishes the best for his close friend, Anthony Davis’ stint with the Wizards.

“You know, I think it’s a good situation for him. I hope the best for him and was happy to see him,” said Hachimura.

The 28-year-old has a solid outing against his former team tonight. Hachimura scored 14, his most in the last seven games. The Lakers secured a comfortable win without Luka Doncic, who served a suspension.

Anthony Davis may not play for the Wizards this season

It’s highly possible that Rui Hachimura and others have to wait until next season to get a preview of the AD era in Washington. Davis has dealt with injury troubles once again this season. It limited him to playing just 20 games for the Mavericks before the trade. The Wizards didn’t announce they would be shutting down Davis.

According to their latest update three weeks ago, the ten-time All-Star has made progress in his recovery. Davis was cleared for limited on-court activity. However, the damaged ligaments in his fingers haven’t completely healed. The Wizards provided a two-week period for re-evaluation.

Since that time has passed, and just seven games remaining in the regular season, it’s possible the Wizards won’t take a risk. That doesn’t bode well for Anthony Davis. He’s heading into the last season of his ongoing contract next year. The motive to move to the Wizards was to attain long-term stability.

Would Washington offer an extension without much to show from Anthony Davis? That’s where not taking any risks is practical, but also creates an uncertain situation. Davis could really be a critical pillar for Washington going forward. Paired with a floor general in Young, Washington has the experience and a young roster to support them.

It’s also possible for them to land a great draft pick in a stacked lottery. So, AD could return fully healthy and rejuvenated next season. The Wizards are out of the Play-In contention, basically killing the point of having Davis’ presence for the last few games. The best-case scenario might be to open next season with a fully healthy roster and competitive expectations.