In terms of buzz, the Golden State Warriors' primary object of attention this offseason— beyond LeBron James— has been Washington Wizards forward Anthony Davis.
This is nothing new for Warriors fans. Golden State has been tied to a potential trade for Davis since he was with the Dallas Mavericks. His defensive skill set as a combo forward/center is too enticing for it to be entirely ignored. When Washington dealt for him at this past season's trade deadline, though, it felt like any speculation might have been over. The Wizards were clearly looking to exit their rebuild, and their acquisitions of both Davis and Trae Young were their path to doing so.
But of course, buzz picked up again this offseason when Shams Charania insinuated that a move for Davis might be necessary for the Warriors to entice James. Of course, that was always out of the realm of possibility. Acquiring Davis' $58 million salary would require parting with Jimmy Butler and likely another salary— something the Warriors haven't fully indicated they're willing to do at this juncture.
Things have officially been laid to rest for the time being, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic has reported that Washington will wait until the regular season to hold extension negotiations with Davis. But even if it doesn't rise from concrete interest on the Warriors' part, it's only a matter of time until the Davis-to-Golden-State buzz rises from the ashes again.
Warriors likely aren't making a move for Anthony Davis— but there will be rumors until his contract with Washington is signed
In a vacuum, the Warriors' potential interest in Davis makes perfect sense. When he's healthy, he's one of the top defensive players in the game, and his offensive skill set is well-rounded enough to make him a star contributor on almost any team.
Across 20 games last season with the Dallas Mavericks, he averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 50.6% from the floor. He then sat out the rest of the season after the trade to Washington.
If Golden State were willing to move Butler's contract, it would be hard to find a better potential acquisition than Davis— at least one who might seriously be available at that number.
But the Wizards wouldn't have acquired Davis if they weren't serious about extending him on a max or near-max contract. They dealt a host of players— including Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, AJ Johnson, and Malaki Branham— plus two first-round picks and a trio of second-round picks to acquire Davis this past season. He has yet to play a game for the organization. As Robbins reports, their decision to wait on Davis' extension likely stems from a desire to see him on the court first.
Perhaps there's a world where things fall apart between now and December 15th, when Draymond Green's contract becomes trade-eligible. Maybe the fit between Young and Davis, or Young and Sarr, isn't clean. Maybe Davis can't stay healthy and Washington tries to work its way out of his contract before they're forced to put long-term money on the table.
Neither scenario feels truly likely at this point. But until the ink is dry on Davis's next contract, the buzz surrounding a potential Warriors blockbuster will simply be bubbling below the surface.
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