The Golden State Warriors have widened their offseason agenda, opening discussions with the Washington Wizards about acquiring center Anthony Davis, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports reports.
Golden State’s well-known plan to chase LeBron James in free agency now appears tied to the idea of reuniting the four-time MVP with his former Lakers teammate in the Bay Area. Davis, 33, joined Washington at February’s trade deadline and remains a player the Wizards have publicly said they hope to keep while climbing the Eastern Conference standings.
Any deal for Davis would have to include injured forward Jimmy Butler to balance salaries and would likely require additional draft assets, according to the report. Butler, recovering from ACL surgery and not expected back until mid-winter, has expressed a desire to finish his career with the Warriors because of his respect for the organization and star guard Stephen Curry.
O’Connor adds that a third team could be brought in to reroute Butler and deliver immediate contributors to Washington. Such a structure might help the Wizards avoid what could be viewed as a short-term step back by swapping Davis for an unavailable Butler.
If Davis is not traded, he becomes eligible for a contract extension in August; a trade would delay that date by six months. It remains unclear how aggressively Golden State would pursue a long-term commitment to the eight-time All-Star, whose durability has been an ongoing concern, especially with Curry now 38.
Both James and Davis are expected to draw significant interest around the league this summer, a dynamic that could complicate the Warriors’ attempt to construct another veteran powerhouse around Curry and forward Draymond Green.
Source: Hoops Rumors
