Anthony Davis enters his 15th NBA season still with the Washington Wizards, despite months of speculation suggesting he wouldn't be. Davis was acquired via trade last February but never suited up for Washington while recovering from a hand injury. With so much roster movement around the league, including that of former teammate LeBron James, Davis' name was tied to trade rumors for months.
Instead, he remains with a Wizards team that's starting to look like a genuine playoff contender, especially after landing No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa. At Wizards media day Monday, Davis spoke highly of Dybantsa and his work ethic heading into his rookie season. "I think the ones that are special, you know, like Cooper [Flag] and obviously AJ [Dybantsa], they want it, they want to learn, they want to get better, they ask the questions, the right questions.
I've been able to give AJ a little bit about how it's going to be coming into the league, you know, he's going to have a target on his back, everybody's going to want to come after him," Davis said. He's got all the tools to be successful in this league. He's a special talent, you know, he's a very special talent.
Can defend, can make any shot ... and he wants it, you know. He works very hard, he listens, he's dedicated and motivated." More news: Dylan Harper Reveals True Feelings on Sixth Man Role With Spurs Dybantsa was the first pick off the board in the 2026 NBA Draft, a class already being dubbed one of the most talent-heavy in league history. That speaks to his standing as a generational player and franchise cornerstone, drawing comparisons to legends like Tracy McGrady and Scottie Pippen.
Last season at BYU, he was a consensus All-American and Julius Erving Award winner after leading the NCAA in scoring at 25.5 points per game, along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals, while shooting 51% from the field and 33% from deep. More news: Clippers Get Brutal Injury News on Brandon Ingram After Kawhi Leonard Trade More news: Pistons Star Jalen Duren Sends Clear Message With Training Camp Holdout But he's only one piece of this new-look Wizards team that suddenly has the entire Eastern Conference on notice. Washington also traded for four-time All-Star Trae Young before last season's deadline, brought back veteran sharpshooter Khris Middleton, and signed former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton.
The Wizards already had some of the most exciting young talent in basketball, too, with Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, and Alex Sarr. If Dybantsa develops into even a fraction of what McGrady and Pippen were as a rookie, this team could quickly emerge as one of the top contenders in the East this season.
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