Washington Wizards Decline Option on Former Badgers Star Johnny Davis

The Washington Wizards front office has opted not to exercise their team option on former first-round pick Johnny Davis for the 2025-26 season.

Davis, a former standout guard for the Wisconsin Badgers basketball program and the 10th overall selection in the 2022 NBA Draft, is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, according to a report from The Athletic’s Josh Robbins.

While Davis was initially viewed as a potential building block for the Wizards on draft night, the team's decision to decline his option isn’t entirely unexpected given his struggles to carve out a meaningful role in the NBA. 

Playing just 5.3 minutes per game so far this season, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound wing has averaged 0.7 points, 0.3 rebounds, and 0.3 assists on 25% shooting across three appearances for Wizards head coach Brian Keefe.

The 22-year-old's limited playing time and production is reflective of his current spot on the Wizards depth chart, where Davis sits behind 2024 first-round rookies such as Carlton Carrington, Kyshawn George, 2023 top 10 pick Bilal Coulibaly, and other established veterans on a team that's expected to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

Through two-plus seasons in the association, Davis has registered career averages of 3.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists a night across 81 games, with shooting splits of 39% from the field and 28% from beyond the arc.

The Wizards’ decision now gives Davis a chance to seek a fresh start with a team that might offer him more consistent playing time and a clearer path for development—whether that’s with another NBA franchise willing to take a shot or an opportunity overseas.

Davis’ path to becoming an NBA lottery pick began with a sensational run at Wisconsin, where he was named the 2022 Big Ten Player of the Year, Lute Olson National Player of the Year, and a consensus First-Team All-American. 

During his sophomore season, Davis led the Badgers to a share of the Big Ten regular-season title, averaging 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game on a 32.5% usage rating. 

Notably, Davis was the first player drafted under Greg Gard and the program's first NBA selection since 2015, when Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker went No. 9 and No. 18 overall to the Hornets and Rockets.

As the La Crosse (Wis.) native plays out what will likely be his final season with the Wizards, questions about his long-term NBA future remain. While Washington could potentially bring him back next season, his modest role and current standing with the franchise suggest that’s an unlikely outcome. 

With former Badgers big man Micah Potter (Utah Jazz) as the only other Wisconsin men’s basketball alum actively playing in the NBA, Davis’ next steps in his development are worth keeping tabs on—not only for his own career but also for the program’s dwindling representation in the league.

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