Damian Lillard is proof of how Wizards should handle Anthony Davis contract

Rip City Project · Jul 22, 2026 20:13 · 2 min read

Damian Lillard is proof of how Wizards should handle Anthony Davis contract — Jan 6, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) reacts after being fouled against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Washington Wizards should push Anthony Davis to sign a deal similar to the one Damian Lillard inked with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Last summer, the Portland Trail Blazers decided to bring Damian Lillard back. After he was waived and stretched by the Milwaukee Bucks – who are now in a state of disarray – the Blazers signed Lillard to a three-year, $41.6 million contract. That’s the type of deal the Washington Wizards should be pushing Anthony Davis to sign, but he never will.

With the current-day CBA, building teams is as difficult as ever, especially when the top dogs are on max contracts. In Lillard’s case, he was coming off an Achilles injury, and the Blazers signed him to a smaller deal. Davis has only played in 70 games once since the 2017-18 campaign, yet he’s still probably going to demand a max contract from Washington.

If he really wanted the Wizards to be competitive moving forward, he would sign a deal similar to Lillard’s. But again, that’s not going to happen.

Anthony Davis should sign for same number as Damian Lillard

Davis is one of the best players on the planet when he’s healthy. He’s a monster on defense and a solid offensive player, too – probably the best two-way player in the world when he’s fully healthy.

But therein lies the problem: Davis is never on the court. He appeared in 20 games this past year, none of which came after he was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Wizards.

The year before that – the season he was traded for Luka Doncic – Davis only played in 51 games. The 2023-24 campaign was his best in years, playing in 76 games, but in the three years before that, he failed to even crack the 60-game mark.

The unfortunate reality of Davis’ situation is that he is fully incapable of staying on the court. His body just hasn’t allowed for that. And though it may not seem fair, his salary should probably reflect that, too.

Lillard’s situation in Portland is a pretty unique one. Not only did he take a discount because of his injury, but he was also returning to the franchise with which he spent most of his career.

That’s a big reason why he probably took a discount, but Davis should have the wherewithal to do the same. Because if he doesn’t, the Wizards will be in a bad, bad spot financially.

The Blazers have Lillard on a cheap contract and Deni Avdija on a great deal, too. They’re set up to compete for years, if they find the right top-end talent.

But Washington paying an oft-injured Davis a max deal is not conducive to winning moving forward.