For years, the idea of Anthony Davis joining the Boston Celtics felt like ancient history. When the Celtics showed serious interest years ago, Davis and his camp made it clear he had no desire to play in Boston. He was shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers instead, where he won a championship and cemented his place among the league’s elite big men. For most Boston fans, the ship had sailed.
A lot has changed since then.
Now 33 and with his body showing the wear of a long, physical career, Davis finds himself in Washington, D.C., trying to salvage the final chapters of his NBA journey. After being traded twice in recent years, his value has diminished significantly. Durability issues have limited his availability, and he has reportedly shown little enthusiasm for the prospect of playing alongside Trae Young in the nation’s capital.
That dynamic shifted dramatically on lottery night.
The Washington Wizards won the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, positioning them to select a potential franchise cornerstone—widely projected to be either AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson. With a promising young core already featuring Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Will Riley, Tre Johnson, and others, the franchise now has a clear path forward. Landing a blue-chip talent makes the veterans on the roster far more expendable.
Davis has already voiced doubts about his future with the Wizards. For Washington, this presents a golden opportunity to flip the former All-NBA standout for additional assets and fully commit to a youth-driven rebuild.
A Frontcourt Upgrade in Beantown?
The Celtics, fresh off another postseason that ended in disappointment, have a clear need to upgrade their frontcourt. While a blockbuster pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo remains the dream scenario for many, the possibility of acquiring Davis at a potentially discounted rate has quietly re-entered the conversation in Boston.
At this stage, Davis’s contract—$58.5 million for next season with a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28—carries negative value for most teams. His age and injury history make long-term commitments risky. Still, his talent, when healthy, remains intriguing for a contender looking for size, versatility, and playoff-proven experience.
The salary-matching hurdle, however, is significant. To bring Davis to Boston without using the mid-level exception creatively, the Celtics would likely need to part with Jaylen Brown or construct a substantial package involving Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Payton Pritchard. Neither scenario feels particularly appealing.
Sending Brown for a 33-year-old Davis with durability concerns would represent a massive downgrade in wing talent and future flexibility. Packaging the other three veterans might get the money to work but would strip Boston of key rotation pieces and depth for what amounts to a high-risk gamble. Even without attaching first-round draft picks, both options feel like an overpay for a player whose best days appear behind him.
There is one more viable path: leveraging the Celtics’ traded player exceptions to absorb a large chunk of expiring salary from another team, then flipping that salary to Washington in a multi-team or sign-and-trade construct. It would require creative maneuvering and cooperation from the Wizards, but it could allow Boston to avoid gutting its core roster.
Caution Should Prevail
Brad Stevens has built a reputation for shrewd, patient decision-making. Pursuing Anthony Davis would represent a departure from that approach—an aggressive swing born from playoff frustration rather than long-term conviction.
Unless the Celtics can structure a deal that minimizes the outflow of young talent and future assets while mitigating the financial risk, this is a situation Boston would be wise to monitor from a distance. The Davis-to-Boston rumors may be alive again, but the obstacles remain as daunting as ever.
For now, the ball is in Washington’s court. How aggressively the Wizards shop their disgruntled veteran will dictate whether this bombshell turns into a legitimate possibility—or remains just another intriguing what-if in Celtics lore.