Anthony Davis ties Wizards record with 34 points in victorious debut vs. Bucks

It took 257 days after his trade from the Dallas Mavericks, but Anthony Davis has finally made his debut with the Washington Wizards. He looked worth the wait.

The All-NBA big man posted 34 points on 11-of-20 shooting, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in a runaway 128-116 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He got off to a hot start and was getting MVP chants at Capital One Arena by the end of the first quarter.

Those 34 points tied Antawn Jamison in 2004 for the most points in a Wizards debut. It’s also the first time someone has begun their Wizards career with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.

Davis was traded to the Wizards on Feb. 5 earlier this year, ending a tenure with the Dallas Mavericks that might have never had a chance due to the emotions tied to him being the return for the infamous Luka Dončić trade.

The Wizards opted to pick Davis up as a new franchise star alongside Trae Young, with two All-Stars thrown into a young core led by Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George. However, with nothing left to play for when they acquired Davis, Washington opted to sit him for the rest of the season with a hand injury. Young also played only five games as a Wizard before getting shut down.

Young, playing his first minutes alongside his new pick-and-roll partner, posted 20 points on 4-of-13 shooting with 13 assists against 1 turnover.

Washington was playing a Milwaukee Bucks team embarking on its post-Giannis Antetokounmpo era, with new acquisition Tyler Herro pacing the team at 24 points. The Bucks actually led 93-90 at the end of the third quarter, but the Wizards blew them out in the fourth.

By comparison, Davis reached 34 points in only two of his 29 games with the Mavericks.

Notably missing from the proceedings was AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft. The rookie missed the opener with an ankle injury after rolling his ankle on a shot in preseason.

That likely means the best is yet to come for Washington, which suddenly has two former All-Stars and plenty of high-upside young talent after years in the wilderness.

The other side of Davis’ debut is the fact that he’s in a contract year, the last leg of a three-year, $175 million contract he originally signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. His representatives and the Wizards opted to table contract talks until the start of the season.

Davis is eligible for an extension worth up to four years and $275 million, a sum the Wizards are likely hesitant to give based on Davis’ injury history and 33 years of age.