In the NBA, it’s never too early to get the trade machine going.
On the latest episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Simmons ranked all 30 teams in a power poll after the first week of the NBA season.
When he got to the Wizards, whom he ranked No.18, Simmons discussed how impressed he was with Anthony Davis’ performance to begin the season.
“[Anthony Davis] has looked, I think, really good. And as long as he stays healthy, I think this is a 35-37 win team,” Simmons said. “I would trade him literally tomorrow. I would trade him right now. I would be offering him to Golden State every day, because as long as he’s healthy and you watch how he’s running around, how he’s moving, how he’s looking. You trade him now before he gets hurt.”
Injuries have been the knock on Davis in recent years. In his final full season with the Lakers in 2023-24, at age 30, he played 76 games.
Since then, he played 42 games with the Lakers during the 2024-25 season before being dealt in the infamous Luka Dončić trade. He appeared in just nine games with the Mavericks the rest of that season after getting hurt. He then injured his hand the following season, requiring season-ending surgery after playing just 20 games.
Davis’ Start to the 2026-27 Season
Through the first week of the season, the 10-time All-Star is averaging 22.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. More importantly, he is averaging 33.3 minutes per game.
In his most recent outing against the Hornets, Davis scored 29 points on 11-of-22 shooting from the field, made three of his six 3-point attempts and grabbed 10 rebounds in nearly 36 minutes of action.
The Wizards are 2-2 to begin the season and have yet to have No.1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa available. Dybantsa is set to make his NBA debut Wednesday night against the Cavaliers.
The additions of Davis and Trae Young have finally made the Wizards look like a respectable NBA team, something the franchise hasn’t been able to claim in years.
For a franchise that has won 17, 18 and 15 games over the past three seasons and hasn’t cracked 40-plus wins since 2017-18, it might be difficult to sell fans on trading away the best player the team has had in quite some time.
Washington has several young players who have shown promise, including Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly and Tre Johnson. They complement a veteran group featuring Young, Davis, Khris Middleton and Deandre Ayton.
It’s a competent NBA roster, a far cry from the misery Wizards fans have endured the past few seasons.
Who could trade for Davis?
The Wizards have yet to extend Davis’ contract. He’s earning $58.5 million this season and has a player option worth $62.8 million for next season. At 33, Davis is likely approaching his final opportunity for a major contract extension and will be eager to prove he’s worth the investment, whether in Washington or elsewhere.
It would be difficult to find a team willing to part with a player the Wizards would deem a worthy return for Davis who also matches his salary, especially given his injury history.
“I’m going to go through the season, and kind of do what I do at a high level, and then, when it’s over, you know, sit down and have those key conversations again with the front office,” Davis said.
Whether a team such as the Warriors, who currently have Jimmy Butler coming off a torn ACL on an expiring $56.8 million contract, could entice the Wizards into a trade remains to be seen. Recent reports have suggested the Warriors aren’t interested in making any drastic moves like trading for Davis, since it would likely require them to include draft capital to make a deal happen.
For the Wizards, however, a move like that doesn’t seem to make much sense.
In the NBA, things change quickly. A development can change a team’s thinking overnight, but for now, Washington seems better off keeping Davis and continuing to establish a culture of competence.
Bill Simmons on Anthony Davis: “I Would Trade Him Literally Tomorrow”