New Anthony Davis, Trae Young Rumors on Injury Status for Wizards After NBA Trade Deadline Moves
The Washington Wizards are going to look quite different after trading for Anthony Davis and Trae Young, but fans may have to be patient when it comes to seeing the duo on the floor together.
After ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday that the Dallas Mavericks traded Davis to the Wizards, ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported "the expectation among sources is that Davis and Young will play very little, if at all, the remainder of the season as the Wizards chase lottery luck, and that both stars will get long-term deals this summer."
Young was already on the roster after the Atlanta Hawks traded him to Washington last month.
Davis has played just 20 games this season and hasn't taken the court since Jan. 8 because of a hand injury. Injuries are nothing new for the Kentucky product, who played 51 games last season and has played more than 62 games just once since the 2017-18 campaign.
Charania reported last month that Davis was expected to miss several months because ligament damage in his hand required surgery, but the big man seemed to push back at that on social media:
As for Young, he hasn't played since Dec. 27 because of MCL and quad injuries.
Charania reported he was expected to be re-evaluated following the All-Star break, noting the Wizards were "taking a cautious approach" following the trade.
Such an approach is anything but surprising.
After all, Washington is 13-36 and in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings. It is a full 10 games behind the Chicago Bulls for the final play-in tournament spot with just 33 games remaining, so there surely won't be any playoff run even if Davis and Young did return.
Instead, using caution with Young and Davis will help ensure they are healthy and ready to go next season when Washington could be a contender in the Eastern Conference. It also won't hurt the team's chances at a favorable draft pick in what could be a loaded 2026 class.
A mock draft from B/R's Jonathan Wasserman last month projected the Wizards to select Kansas' Darryn Peterson with the top pick, but the chance at such a selection would be jeopardized by Davis and Young being on the floor together.
