The five stages of grief:

I was absolutely dumbfounded when I saw the notification pop up on my phone. This does not feel like a move that Will Dawkins and Michael Winger would make. At least with Trae Young, he is 27 years old and comes at a critical position of need. Davis makes no sense.

Anthony Davis is almost 33 years old, always injured and is seeking a contract extension. He makes $54 million this year, $58 million next year and has a player option for $62 million in 2027-28. Since winning the 2020 Championship with the Lakers, Davis has played 36, 40, 56, 76, 51 and 20 games in the last six seasons.

This is not the kind of player that fits the Wizards' rebuild and what they're trying to do as an organization. Every part of this deal is bad.

At least the Wizards didn't have to give up a lot to get Davis. Khris Middleton and Marvin Bagley are expiring contracts, while Malaki Branham and AJ Johnson don't really play much. The 2026 OKC first-round pick is probably going to be No. 30 overall, and the 2030 GSW first-round pick is top 20 protected, meaning if it doesn't convey, the pick would've become a second-rounder. So essentially, the Wizards gave up two expiring contracts, two non-contributors and five second-round picks for a top-20-ish player when healthy.

If Davis ends up returning to health (major if), the Wizards will have gotten him and Trae for pennies on the dollar. He could also be an intriguing fit next to Sarr, who could allow AD to play more of the 4.

If he remains injury-prone and is never the same player again, the Wizards have enough salary cap space to absorb his brutal contract. There's also no guarantee they have to give AD an extension, as I don't think he has any other leverage. Who else wants him?

I don't think the Wizards traded for Trae Young and Anthony Davis with the hope that they could return this season and help them win now. Washington can still lose a lot over the back half of its season and draft one of Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa or Cameron Boozer with enough lottery luck.

Next year's team could then look like this:

Add one of Peterson, Dybantsa or Boozer to that core? I don't hate it. I don't see it becoming championship level unless one of Sarr/Ky/Tre becomes an All-Star caliber player, but it's good to transition a team that has lost over and over into more of a winning culture.

The Wizards needed to find some way to use their cap space. Stars don't get moved in free agency anymore — mostly only trades — so the fact that the Wiz were able to make two high-upside low-risk trades for former stars without giving up any of their own picks is a win in my book. The number one thing that will decide if this is a success or not is whether Washington is still able to draft the guy this summer as their franchise leader, or if Sarr/Kyshawn/Tre becomes that instead.