New Anthony Davis Rumors Reveal Wizards Lineup Plans After Deandre Ayton Trade with Lakers

After acquiring Deandre Ayton from the Los Angeles Lakers this week, the Washington Wizards are still planning to enter the 2026-27 season with Anthony Davis on their roster.

Per NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer, Washington "envisions" a lineup with Davis, Ayton and Alex Sarr on the court together at times.

The report does note Davis' future with the Wizards will likely be "more definitively" answered on Aug. 6 when he becomes eligible to sign an extension with the club, but the trade for Ayton is not "automatically" viewed as a prelude to Davis being moved.

The Wizards received Ayton from Los Angeles in exchange for Jaden Hardy and two future second-round draft picks.

Ayton previously opted in to his $8.1 million salary for the upcoming season.

There have been rumblings that the Golden State Warriors were plotting for a potential offseason in which they could sign LeBron James and trade for Davis in an attempt to chase a title with Stephen Curry still playing at a high level.

However, Marc J. Spears of ESPN and Andscape reported the Wizards aren't interested in trading Davis and aren't taking calls on him.

Things can always change as the offseason goes on, particularly if the Wizards indicate they don't want to extend Davis, but their moves thus far do suggest an organizational desire to be competitive sooner than later.

Trae Young received a four-year, $212 million contract from Washington in a deal that caught many off-guard for how lucrative it was since his market didn't seem like it was going to be that robust. The Wizards are also adding No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa into the mix.

Given the developmental curve for rookies entering the league and Young's well-known issues on the defensive end, the Wizards' desire to play at times with a three-big lineup of Davis, Ayton and Sarr on the floor together makes sense.

Davis and Sarr, in particular, have the potential to be a dynamic defensive duo if they stay healthy. Sarr showed the ability to be an impact rim protector last season.

Even though Davis is no longer the All-NBA defender he was at his peak now that he is 33, his IQ on that end of the floor should allow him to maintain a high level of performance at this stage of his career.

The Wizards had the worst defense in the NBA last season, so they need all the help on that end they can get. Young's scoring and passing gives them a strong floor on offense.

Putting all the pieces together makes the Wizards a lot more interesting than the team that finished 17-65 in 2025-26. Davis could make a huge impact for them if he does start the season in Washington.