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Anthony Davis: 🧢 Legion Hoops: Lionel Hollins on why LeBron James and Anthony Davis rarely worked out together: “LeBron told him ‘you’ve got to get up a little earlier to come work out with me.’”
So LeBron chose the 76ers, and the Warriors are left to wonder what might have been. Should they have tried to trade Jimmy Butler and draft picks for Anthony Davis? At summer league in Las Vegas, a small contingent of Golden State’s front office pushed for that path, but AD’s injury history and desire for a new extension ultimately convinced team brass to stay put.
But that’s all this is: speculation. The Warriors have not engaged the Wizards and the sides haven’t had substantive talks about Anthony Davis, according to a source with knowledge of the Warriors’ offseason direction. Wizards general manager Will Dawkins has also sought to shut down trade rumors in public interviews.
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“Klutch is trying to get AD to Cleveland or Golden State,” a source told Dallas Hoops Journal. “Neither team wants to do it. Miami is the frontrunner now. Giannis and Bam have been in LeBron’s ear nonstop.” Davis, who played with James on the Los Angeles Lakers, becomes extension-eligible on August 6. Neither the Warriors nor the Cavaliers want to pay Davis max money, sources said, making a trade unlikely.
Klutch Sports Group, led by Rich Paul, thought it would be “super easy” to get the Cavaliers or Warriors to trade for Davis, sources said. Since that’s not the case, the Heat have emerged as the leader to sign James since Miami doesn’t have to trade for Davis. The team already has Antetokounmpo and Adebayo and strong role players in Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell, Bobby Portis and Tim Hardaway Jr.
That said, Anthony Davis is no guarantee to stay on the floor either, so it'd be understandable if the Warriors aren't all sold on adding him to the mix. As far as I've heard, there aren't any other teams pursuing LeBron that have interest in Davis either. That should come as no surprise given that Davis has appeared in just 47 games per season since winning the 2020 title, his jump shot has abandoned him, he isn't the all-world defender he was in his prime, and he still doesn't want to play center.
The popular theory around the league is that LeBron has been slow-playing his decision to see if any of his suitors could find a way to land Irving or Davis. If a team proved capable of acquiring one of his championship teammates, sources say, it might sway him in that direction.
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Scotto: Have you talked to Anthony Davis about extending and being with you in Washington long-term? Young: I’m not going to tease him about that (an extension). He’s earned multiple extensions. That’s the thing about the NBA. We’ve got our own lives going on. The last thing we’re talking about is what we’re making. I don’t really think about it too much. I know what I’ve got to do and what I want to do with this team, and I hope to turn it back around. That’s all I care about. Whenever I do that, a winner will be standing. I’ve learned that recency bias is a real thing.
With fellow star Anthony Davis extension-eligible August 6th, the Wizards plan to have extension talks with the 33-year-old, 10-time All-Star forward, league sources told HoopsHype. The Golden State Warriors have expressed trade interest in Davis. Yet, Washington has rebuffed such inquiries to this point, putting a major wrench in Golden State’s dream scenario of pairing Davis with free agent target LeBron James in the Bay Area.
Ever since the signing, there’s been different reactions to it. There’s been criticism to the length of the contract. There’s been criticism that that there’s going to be some role redundancy with some of the young guys. What is your view on what people are missing that share that criticism? Aaron Mintz: “When you look at the last two champions in this league, star players played the point-guard position. It’s the hardest position to find in this league. The Washington Wizards got one of the elite point guards in his prime to run their franchise with all of these young players. He pairs so perfectly with Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr. When you look at what Trae Young does with big men, to me, it is a no-brainer. Trae is one of the few players in the history of the NBA to average 20 points and 10 assists for multiple seasons. To me, this is a no-brainer move for both parties. Time will tell, but I’m excited for the season. I think Trae and this team are going to have a phenomenal year. Michael, Will and Trae are all going to look incredibly well once this season gets going.”
NBA Courtside: PJ Tucker says LeBron James is going to Golden State: “I like Bron in Golden State it’s going to be tough. Oh my god. AD about to get out of Washington. They going to get AD. AD and Bron to Golden State. What’s up.” (Via @club520podcast)
