It was barely more than one year ago that the NBA world was rocked by the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis mega trade. And now, what feels like no time later, there are rumblings of another, perhaps equally wild trade involving the former Kentucky star.
Davis led the Cats to a national title in 2012, and then won it all again on the NBA level as a Los Angeles Laker in 2020. Now though, though his body has fallen behind as a result of near-constant injury issues, the big may be in for his craziest career change yet as the Golden State Warriors look to team Davis up with Stephen Curry, as well as LeBron James, out west.
The internet-shattering report came in from Yahoo! Sports' Kevin O'Connor. If this were 2018, the world may have actually broken in two; even now, the news is exciting regardless of Davis' struggles.
Davis has missed a total of 135 regular-season games over the last four NBA seasons due to numerous injuries, including 62 games last year alone. Davis' time in Dallas as a Maverick never really got off the ground; the executive who traded for him (Nico Harrison) was fired, and he was subsequently shipped to the Washington Wizards in February.
And in Washington is the one potential hangup for this wild ordeal: according to O'Connor, the Wizards have every apparent intention of keeping Davis around.
The Warriors are looking to trade Jimmy Butler’s contract for Anthony Davis, then sign LeBron James, per @KevinOConnor
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 29, 2026
That would leave the Warriors with a Big Four of Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Draymond Green, and Anthony Davis.
That could also make Jimmy Butler a potential… pic.twitter.com/lcxOnFkacz
Washington Could Block the Curry/James/Davis Move
As was noted by O'Connor, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said on ESPN's draft show last week that Davis "wants to be here [Washington]. We want him here." That'll deflate the balloon for sure, unless Davis' contract discussions fall apart in August, or he's traded in the meantime.
Still, per O'Connor, it's the Warriors' intention to find a way to bring Davis in and to then use that leverage to also rope in James, who hasn't yet signed a deal to return to Los Angeles. Jimmy Butler, with his own expiring deal and injury issues, would reportedly be included in the deal.
That Warriors group would be an amazing team 10 years ago, sure, but now? Davis, again, can't stay healthy, James will be 42 in December, and Curry (who is 38) just shot his worst three-point percentage since the 2021-2022 season, coming in below the 40% mark.. Add that all up, and you've got a team that comes with arguably more questions than answers.
Potential Roster Problems
Who would the Warriors sign beyond trying to fill out the roster with free agents willing to come aboard for the minimum? There are guys on the market, but that's been the Lakers' exact issue with LeBron over the past few seasons. It almost seems doomed to fail, as cool as the concept is.
To the latter point, Curry is winding down one of the most storied careers in NBA history, as is LeBron. Pairing the two together for one last run at a title before they retire is incredibly tempting from a fan's perspective.
Will it actually work? Nobody has any clue, but you can't knock Golden State for actively trying to pull off one of the most insane marriages the league has ever seen, and it'd be especially fun to see one of our favorite former Wildcats smack-dab in the center of it.
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