NBA Trade Rumor: Anthony Davis Heads to Warriors In Proposed Draft Day Trade

The Trae Young-Anthony Davis Duo in D.C. might be over before it begins. There's a lot of talk this offseason that AD may be on the move without having played a single game for the Washington Wizards.

Davis was acquired in a trade deadline deal from the Dallas Mavericks, but the 33-year-old sat out the rest of the year due to injury (I know, you're shocked). He managed to play just 20 games this past season, all told. But with career averages of 24 points per game, 10.7 boards and 2.3 blocked shots per night, many teams still salivate at the thought of having Davis healthy come playoff time.

Count the Warriors amongst them.

AD has averaged 26 points and 11.8 rebounds in his 60 career playoff contests. He has led the playoffs in rebounds per game three times, and that time he stayed healthy right througout, in the Bubble in 2020, he was instrumental in helping lead the LA Lakers to the championship.

Davis is 33, but the Golden State Warriors, as should be apparent by now, are not fazed by bringing in older players in a win-now move. Jimmy Butler was two years older than Davis when they brought him in at the 2025 deadline. And now, in a proposed blockbuster, Butler could be shipped out in order to get AD to GSW.

A proposed blockbuster that would send Anthony Davis to Golden State

Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report has proposed this deal that would take place by the Draft and would get the Warriors their long-sought-after dominant center:

Golden State Warriors receive:

Anthony Davis

Washington Wizards receive:

Jimmy Butler
2026 First-Rounder (No. 11 pick)
2030 first-round pick swap (21-30 protected)

As Buckley puts it, not only does Davis give Warriors the interior defender, rim-protection, size and scoring under the basket that they've long needed, he could also act as a recruiter to convince his old teammate LeBron James (who he won that 2020 title with) to come to San Francisco with him.

Yes, the core of Steph Curry, LeBron, AD and Draymond Green sounds as old as it does scary, but as Buckley says, "If they could just get everyone to the finish line, though, they'd be a terrifying playoff matchup or even a shadow contender for the crown."

For the Wiz, they'd rid themselves of a guy in Davis who doesn't really sound like he wants to be there. And if they could add another solid young prospect at pick 11 in the draft to go with their likely choice at No. 1, AJ Dybantsa, they could have "a draft class for the ages."

Trae would be there to make sure everyone gets the ball where they need it, and Butler could kick all the young kids' behinds when necessary and frighten them into playing hard.