The Dallas Mavericks have parted ways with ten-time All-Star Anthony Davis, moving on from the biggest return they got in the Luka Doncic trade.
The ill-fated Anthony Davis era in Texas is over, as the Dallas Mavericks flipped him to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
Davis, along with Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum, are headed to the nation's capital in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks, and three second-round picks.
It's impossible to ignore the fact that Davis, while injured, fetched a far greater return than Luka Doncic did when the Mavericks traded him one year ago. With the return, the Mavericks now have ammunition and more young players to build around, and are clearly all-in on Cooper Flagg as the sole future of the franchise moving forward.
Davis Deal Is a Blatant Attempt to Undo Luka Trade
After months of trade speculation and back-and-forth, as well as some reports that Davis wanted to remain in Dallas, the often-injured center was shipped off.
For the Mavericks, it's a clear signal that the "three-year timeline" Nico Harrison promised after the trade was a farce, and that the only saving grace was the 1.8% lottery chances that netted the team Flagg, who is now the sole face of the franchise. It also points to a much longer rebuild than initially expected, as their best "win now" player has been shipped off.
If you had put a gun to the head of Mavericks fans in 2024, asking if they would rather have Davis, Max Christie, and a single pick for Luka Doncic or a haul of Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks, and three second-round picks, they would tell you to pull the trigger.
Neither deal justifies or vindicates the Mavericks for trading an ascending superstar in Doncic, although the Davis deal does admit some wrongdoing and serves to go all-in on Flagg, which is something Dallas should have done as soon as their season ended last year.
Of course, with Flagg, ample draft picks, and some upcoming salary flexibility, the Mavericks should find themselves on the rise. However, it's a long way to the top, and with the Western Conference stacked, fans shouldn't expect a return to contention anytime soon.
The deal was a step in the right direction, although it was also a shameless attempt to clean up the worst trade in NBA history.