Anthony Davis Reacts to Wizards Trade, Addresses Potential Contract Extension Amid NBA Rumors

Anthony Davis broke his silence on the trade that sent him from the Dallas Mavericks to the Washington Wizards in a Friday interview with The Athletic's David Aldridge following reports that he was unhappy with the move.

"They said I said a lot of stuff in the other city, too, that I didn't say," Davis told Aldridge after meeting with the Wizards' front office and ownership group, including Ted and Zach Leonsis, Michael Winger, Will Dawkins and John Thompson III.

"The visit's been great," Davis said. "They definitely welcomed me with open arms, spent some time with Ted and Zach. It's totally different from what they make it seem. I know it's like, oh, they have the stigma of they're not a good team. I haven't seen the practice facility yet, but the arena is top-notch, world-class for sure. Seen the chefs and how they take care of the families. It's been great."

Davis also addressed rumors about his future with the Wizards, or lack thereof.

"I need to talk with Will, Ted, Zach, and kind of figure out what the actual plan is, and then just kind of go from there," Davis said. "I talked briefly (Friday) with Will. Obviously, at this time, every year, you want to compete for championships and stuff like that. That's obviously the main focus, getting to that place. Conversations are going to be held to see about getting to that space. I've been everywhere the last two years. I want to see the plan, hear the plan, see the vision. Bringing Trae (Young) here and other things in store, what they're thinking of doing, I want to have those conversations with them and see what happens. The city is obviously phenomenal."

Davis' comments come after Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix reported that the star wasn't thrilled with the trade and how it could affect his contract extension outlook.

"It's not good for AD, who I've been told, not loving this," Mannix reported during a Thursday appearance on The Ryen Russillo Show.

"I'm telling you, I don't see an extension coming," he added. "I think they're open to that with Trae Young, I don't think they're open to that with Anthony Davis."

The Mavericks sent Davis along with guards Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to the Wizards in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round draft picks and three second-round selections on Wednesday.

It was the second major trade for Washington prior to the deadline, as it previously acquired Young from the Atlanta Hawks while sending out CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert on Jan. 7.

NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer later reported that part of the Wizards' motivation for the Davis deal was to show Young that "they are serious about being a playoff team next season" and want to "hash out a contract extension" with him during the 2026 offseason.

It's understandable that Washington may be more motivated to work out an extension with the 27-year-old Young over Davis, who'll be turning 33 years old on March 11.

Davis is currently set to earn $58.5 million for the 2026-27 season and has a $62.8 million player option for his 2027-28 campaign (via Spotrac).

The 10-time All-Star also might not be excited about attempting to contend for a playoff spot on a Wizards squad that has missed the postseason in each of the past four years, failing to record more than 35 wins in every season across that span.

That could change if Washington starts off strong during the 2026-27 season, though.

For now, Davis remains sidelined while dealing with ligament damage in his left hand.

The Wizards currently sit at No. 13 in the Eastern Conference standings with a 14-36 record.