Anthony Davis says he’ll decide after this season if he wants to stay in Washington

WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Davis says he’ll decide after the season is over whether he wants to remain with the Washington Wizards beyond 2026-27.

“I’m going to go through the season and try to do what I do at a high level, and then when it’s over, sit down and have those conversations again with the front office,” Davis said at media day Monday.

That timetable might be tricky for Washington management, because if Davis doesn’t want to stay with the team it could make sense to trade him for significant assets. But the star center’s answer Monday should give him some temporary relief from questions about his future. The Wizards traded for Davis in February. He has a player option for 2027-28, meaning this could be his lone season in Washington.

The team is in an intriguing situation. During this calendar year, the Wizards have acquired Davis and Trae Young — the latter of whom did agree to an extension with Washington — and drafted AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick. The 33-year-old Davis began his career in New Orleans before he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he played with LeBron James for 5 1/2 seasons in a major spotlight.

The last couple seasons have been a whirlwind, though. He was traded from the Lakers to Dallas in the deal that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles. Then last season, the Mavericks dealt him to Washington.

The Wizards haven’t won more than 18 games in any of their past three seasons, and although there’s a chance for significant improvement soon, they may not be enough of a title contender for Davis’ liking. But at his age — and coming off his latest injury — Davis has a lot to prove.

So it’s in everyone’s best interest for him to play well in Washington.

“AD’s in a great frame of mind. He’s focused and ready to start the season,” Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said recently. “I would say he’s very much a motivated player right now, and I would expect AD to remind the basketball world who he really is.”

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