Q. Anthony, how is the hand? Is it fully healed? Where are you at in this process?
ANTHONY DAVIS: It's good. Almost. Based on on-court stuff, contact, three-on-three. Felt really good. Obviously we don't have enough to play five-on-five. Some guys are playing, some guys are out.
But the hand is definitely where I want it to be.
Q. I remember seeing you on Draymond's podcast talking about the competitiveness you saw with these young guys. Do you remember the moment when you were like, All right, we have something here with this young core?
ANTHONY DAVIS: Started game two of the season when I was in Dallas, Kyshawn put up 32 against us. I was like, Man, these guys are really good, the young talent they have.
Just coming here, seeing these guys work, talking to them, some of the answers they were giving, Kyshawn in particular had some answers for a second- or third-year player, that was very interesting, answers you wouldn't hear from a second-year player.
Seeing the way these guys work, compete, watching them in the game the way they compete, it was really motivational and inspiring to kind of see that.
Even with losing basketball games, they still find ways to find the competitive juices and nature of the games, to go out and compete at the highest level.
It was eye-opening. It was good. It was good to see. All these guys... Some of these guys have so much game. I didn't know Bub was like that. I was not familiar with the game (smiling). He's really good. Just watching him work out, some of the other guys, Jamir. Got a chance to work with Alex a little bit. Worked with Tricky a little bit. It was just good to see.
Q. You made it pretty clear that at this point in your career you're interested in competing, trying to be in the best situation for you in terms of competing for a championship. You said you want to have some conversations with this organization to see what their plan is going forward. What do you want to hear? What do you expect going forward for this organization that will give you the confidence that you can compete to win here?
ANTHONY DAVIS: Having those conversations, seeing a plan, what it is. I haven't had a chance to talk with them yet. Obviously it's a long summer. Season just ended yesterday.
Meeting with those guys, they know that I want to win. I'm sure that they want to win, as well. Nobody wants to lose. So I think having those conversations, us being on the same page, kind of seeing what the direction of the team is. I know we have a lot of young guys. I mentioned about the young guys, how talented they are.
Adding Trae and myself kind of can help change that. I've been in this league a long time. I've been with losing teams, been on losing teams. It's very hard to be a losing team, then a championship contender, right? I think one team, Boston in '08. Only team, right?
Even when I was in New Orleans, we had two losing seasons, made the Playoffs in the third year, that in itself is a huge jump. Showing you want to be on a path to win. That's what it takes.
If something comes out of the conversation where that's the path... Obviously you won't know till the season starts. That's what I would like to see. What is our plan for winning going into next season? And how? Not like this is a plan, but how do we execute that? Based on that, we'll kind of see what happens.
Q. It's been a weird season. You have been traded a few times. This one between the team you started with, how the terms were of your trade to Washington, where does this season rank among your NBA seasons? How have you learned to deal with the business side of the NBA?
ANTHONY DAVIS: I don't have weird NBA seasons, to be honest. I'm blessed to still be in the league. The average NBA career is three years. I just ended year 14, so... I don't have a weird season.
I mean, the season is the season.
What was the question?
Q. Some of these decisions don't always happen --
ANTHONY DAVIS: Oh, the business of the league.
It's a business. It's a business. I never felt like I would be on this side of the business. At the end of the day, this is what you sign up for. Like I say, I'm very blessed that I get to play the game that I love. I will never take that for granted. Some guys want to play and can't get in the league, right? Some guys want to play and can't get a minute on the court.
Listen here, I get to play basketball. I'm just happy I'm able to do that at a high level.
Q. How did your perception of the franchise from afar differ from whatever it's been now in the middle of it?
ANTHONY DAVIS: Yeah, I was one of those guys, you look from the outside looking in, you watch the Wizards the last three years, a losing record. How many games last year? 15 games, 17.
It's become the perception of the league the Wizards come into the building, we can win this game, whatever. Then you get here and it's different, right? Yes, they're losing games, but this team can very well be a really good team.
The organization is a great organization. Ted is a great owner. Coaching staff. I already mentioned about the young players that's here, their development that I've seen. Obviously the city is phenomenal.
Coming here, they do things, I don't want to give away their secrets, because I haven't seen it anywhere else, to be honest, that it's like, Oh, I've never heard of that, never seen it, but I like it, right?
That within itself kind of intrigues me, right? I mean, you look at all the guys, how much they developed over the last couple years. You probably been watching this guy made a huge jump, this guy made a huge jump.
I can personally say now it's not what people think or what people make it seem. Yes, the losing is part of it, so people kind of tie that with the organization. But the organization within itself is totally different from what people think they're seeing.
Q. What stands out to you about Alex Sarr? How can you make each other better?
ANTHONY DAVIS: Alex is really good. He's young. Same capabilities as me. I didn't know till maybe, been here since whatever the trade was, been in and out, but I got here for full March 18. I just found out three days ago that one of his favorite players, he watched me all the time. Why didn't you tell me when I got here (laughter)?
He's really skilled both ends of the floor. Can shoot the basketball, can put it on the floor. Obviously his defensive capabilities is unmatched, what he's able to do. Guard one through five. Protect the rim. Pick and roll. That's been fun to work with him over the last couple days, kind of show him some moves, talk him through some things, which he's like a sponge when it comes to that. He asks questions.
I think it's going to be beneficial for him, beneficial for the team moving forward.
Q. Are there questions you have about this organization, questions that can be answered in one off-season?
ANTHONY DAVIS: I think so, yeah, because I know I'm not delusional, right? Like I said, if they were to sit here and, We want to win championship next year, obviously that's the goal for everybody, right? Yes, I like that, but also let's be realistic about the situation.
As much as I would love... It's a timeline, right? It might not be next season. It might be the season after. It might be season three where all right, real contenders. Might be Playoffs, then maybe they get to the conference finals, now they're a contender.
I do hear, because I don't read social media and all that stuff, unless it's about Foul Play you can catch tonight at 9:00 (laughter) -- I'm excited to see the episode tonight -- that people are talking about our team already. People are excited. People around the league are like, Hey, who knows what can happen when you add a guy like myself and Trae to these young guys that can play, which means people are talking about it, there's some people that fear, right?
Now you're talking about a level of fearness that -- is 'fearness' a word? You guys can figure it out. There's a level of fear that comes with the Washington Wizards, right?
I think all those questions will be answered within a summer, then kind of just, like I said, figuring out what the plan and the trajectory is of the team.
I've had great communication with Mike and Will through this entire process. I know we're going to have great conversations going into the summer.
For me, I'd rather have those conversations sooner than later because I'm ready to get to work, you know, try to change things, change things around.
Q. Do you think at the least, while these questions get answered, do you say, You got me next year?
ANTHONY DAVIS: Yeah. I'm on a contract, you know (laughter)? I love my money.
No, but, I mean, you can ask any guys here, I've always since day one the trade happened, I'll say day two the trade happened, I got here, like I said, this place is not what people make it seem. It's a testament to the organization, to the coaching staff, the players, the media, like everybody here.
I think I want to be able to have fun where I am. I want to be able to compete where I am. I want to be able to learn wherever I am. This organization, like, has that. They teach. Who knows?
Like I say, I don't want to give out too much what I really want to say. Maybe off camera I'll tell you (smiling). But things have to get figured out. I don't want to do this again, I'll say that. I don't want to do this again, but things have to get figured out. You can read between the lines.
Q. Are you operating on the assumption you'll be still here starting next season, this upcoming season?
ANTHONY DAVIS: Yeah, I mean, I'm under contract, so... Look, everything happened, and I don't want to go back because they'll start hating me again in New Orleans for what I said, but I'm always remaining a professional. That's one thing that has been about me through my entire career. Asked for a trade from New Orleans, I told them I'm a Pelican till I'm not. I went to work every day, I put in the work every day, I played games the right way, played hard, left it on the floor every single night. Nothing is going to change.
Whether we figure something out in the summer good or bad, whatever, hopefully it's not, but we figure it out. If it doesn't get figured out, then come October, mid-October, late October, I will have a Washington Wizards uniform on, and I will go out there and do everything I can to win a basketball game. That's never going to change.
No matter if the relationship gets sour, nothing. So don't try to clickbait, no. Hypotheticals, right? I'm going to go out there and compete every single day. In the summer, right now, I'm going to compete, train, and have the mindset that I will be here next year. Not only because I'm under contract, but also I like these young guys. I ain't going to lie. Feel like they're all my children, you know (laughter)?
Some of these guys was four and five years old my rookie year, which is crazy. Now I see how LeBron feels. These guys are really, really young.
They've embraced me coming here. They've asked questions. It's like me giving out my knowledge to these young guys. For the short span that we had together, I feel so much connected with these guys on and off the floor. So I hate to kind of see that go away.
Some of the players, we were talking about next year, all that. Like, yes, contractually I'm here, but I would love to see how it feels to play a game in a Wizards uniform.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports