The Washington Wizards acquired an injured Anthony Davis at the trade deadline. Given they are still in a rebuilding phase, there's a realistic possibility that the Wizards flip Davis before the start of the 2026-27 season.
"I do think there's a good chance that he may end up somewhere else by the time next season starts," NBA insider Chris Haynes said on the "Deals and Dunks" show.
The Portland Trail Blazers have good fortune trading with the Wizards, stealing rising star Deni Avdija from them in 2024. But as Portland's first-round playoff exit revealed, they must find Avdija a co-star this summer.
Damian Lillard's return will certainly help address that lack of star power, but Portland can't fully rely on a 35-year-old coming off a brutal Achilles tear. They must look externally to fill that massive void, and Davis may present their most realistic solution.
Blazers wouldn't have to sacrifice their future for Anthony Davis
Another thing the playoffs exposed is Portland's frontcourt problem. Despite their depth in Donovan Clingan, Robert Williams III, and Yang Hansen, the Blazers still have holes that need to be addressed.
Clingan was, at times, played off the court due to his lack of lateral mobility. San Antonio's shooters were having an absolute field day on his drop coverage. While he remains the Blazers' starting center of the future, it leaves Portland vulnerable to specific matchups, which isn't ideal considering they'll inevitably run into a team that will exploit Clingan's weaknesses during a deep playoff run.
The good news is, they have arguably the best backup center in the league: Time Lord.
The series against San Antonio proved just how valuable Williams is to this roster, as he genuinely outplayed Clingan. Williams is on an expiring deal, and the Blazers must do everything they can to retain him this offseason.
However, that also leaves them vulnerable to the injury bug. Williams put together a relatively healthy season, as his 59 games played were the second-highest total in his career. Unfortunately, that's not a sustainable solution, despite Williams' expressed goal in his exit interview to play in back-to-back games next season.
It's not like Davis is much more reliable in that aspect, but in the aggregate, the Blazers would have a healthier frontcourt. If both Williams and Davis are able to stay healthy, the positional versatility of Davis gives Portland a legitimate luxury. He's even stated in the past that the power forward spot is his more natural position.
In certain matchups, a Davis-Clingan frontcourt would be an absolute defensive nightmare, giving Portland the elite defensive identity they've sought. It would also help compensate for any defensive limitations Lillard has upon his return. Floor spacing may be an issue (as it's been all these past years), but at least Clingan's improved three-point shot would help make that a playable frontcourt duo for stretches.
The Blazers have a lot of intriguing center options, but they lack versatility. Clingan, Williams, or Hansen cannot play the power forward spot effectively, which creates a massive logjam (and makes the Hansen draft selection more questionable, but that's a rant for another day).
Davis may not be the perfect solution to the Blazers' roster flaws. They still need to address their lack of shooting that was exposed in the postseason. But at the highest level, Portland's biggest issue is its lack of star power.
They can't compete with the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder or San Antonio Spurs, with Deni Avdija having to match the production of a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Victor Wembanyama. To be fair, nobody in the league can. But that's exactly why Portland needs to find Avdija a co-star to help bridge that gap in star power.
If the Wizards do make Davis available this summer, he could be a realistic option for the Blazers, given where they are in their rebuild. At the exit interview, general manager Joe Cronin said he's open to the idea of trading for a star but won't sacrifice the entire future to land that piece. In other words, he needs to find a relatively cheap star.
That's much easier said than done, making us somewhat skeptical Portland will even find that star solution before next season begins. But Davis does fit the bill in terms of the limited amount of future assets that would have to be surrendered.
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