In August 2023, the LA Lakers sat down with a star big man who had played just 56 games the previous season. They handed Anthony Davis a three-year, $186 million maximum extension worth $62 million annually, and called it a cornerstone commitment.

Three years later, Davis played 71 combined games over two seasons. He was traded from Dallas to Washington at the February deadline and missed the rest of the season with a hand injury, never appearing in a single game for the Wizards. Now that the extension window officially opens, The Athletic’s Josh Robbins reported on what Washington’s front office has decided regarding Anthony Davis.

Robbins’ report, per league sources, stated that meaningful talks about a possible extension will “occur during the 2026-27 season, not before.”

Neither side knows each other enough yet. Davis has not played a game in Washington. The front office cannot fully evaluate what it has. AD cannot fully evaluate whether Washington is the right long-term home.

He participated in the Wizards’ optional veteran minicamp in Las Vegas during Summer League, which Robbins noted. “Davis and the Wizards appear to be on good footing.”

Anthony Davis was reportedly excited about the team’s youth even before Washington won the draft lottery and selected AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick. He has also been skeptical about whether a team that had the league’s worst record in 2025-26 can genuinely contend in 2026-27.

The former No. 1 pick is owed $58.5 million in 2026-27 and holds a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28. A maximum-salary extension would start at 105% of his current salary and could be worth up to $275 million over four seasons, an offer that would pay him $76 million when he is 37.

It is hard to imagine the organization putting that offer on the table for a 33-year-old who has battled injuries in recent years. But the Trae Young precedent tells a different story. The Wizards gave Young a four-year, $212 million extension after an injury-filled season despite a league-wide belief they could have retained him for less, showing that Washington’s ownership is willing to invest heavily in veteran talent when the relationship warrants it.

The question is whether Davis and the Wizards get to April with enough confidence to have the conversation. And whether the number that ends the conversation is one both sides can live with.

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported that Davis is expected to engage in contract negotiations with the Wizards once the extension window begins on Aug. 6. A signal that he is not closing the door on Washington before a single regular-season game is played, despite the Warriors trade pursuit and the skepticism he expressed about the franchise’s contention timeline.

The Wizards’ acquisition of Deandre Ayton in a trade with the Lakers led to speculation a Davis deal could follow. But insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported afterward that Washington officials see the 2026-27 lineup with both big men in it, a two-center frontcourt alongside Alex Sarr that gives the Wizards genuine defensive length around Dybantsa and Young.

Why Waiting Could Actually Benefit Both Sides

“The Wizards have given up next to nothing to get him in the first place,” CBS Sports stated. “One of the two first-round picks they gave up was No. 30 overall, and the other is top-20 protected. If this turns out to be an arbitrage play based around flipping Davis for more than they paid, all of this starts to make more sense for the Wizards.”

If Davis plays well enough in 2026-27, then a team enters with a major offer. And the Wizards either match it or trade him for significant assets, gaining on an acquisition that cost them almost nothing. If he doesn’t perform, the delayed extension timeline means they haven’t committed $275 million to a player who couldn’t stay healthy.

When a player extends for a starting salary higher than 120% of their previous salary or gets more than four total years with their existing and new contract included, they cannot be traded for six months. That six-month restriction would take any Davis extension off the trade market until the deadline, a significant constraint for a franchise that still has questions about whether he fits its long-term vision alongside Dybantsa.

Wizards GM Will Dawkins told reporters: “We’ll have that conversation in the middle of August when we can officially have that,” adding that Davis complements Alex Sarr as the team’s 21-year-old center continues his development.

The Wizards landed Davis for almost nothing. They gave Trae Young $212 million without knowing his full market. The question heading into 2026-27 is which case ends up defining how they handle the biggest contract decision of their offseason.