The Washington Wizards have completed another blockbuster trade after acquiring ten-time All-Star Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks
The Washington Wizards have already pulled off one blockbuster trade this season after acquiring Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. Now they have added another just ahead of the NBA Trade deadline.
Shams Charnia of ESPN reported on Wednesday that the Washington Wizards are trading Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, a pair of first-round picks and three-second rounders to the Dallas Mavericks. In exchange, the Washington Wizards have landed ten-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis along with Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum. The Toronto Raptors were also reportedly interested in Davis before the Wizards swooped in as the surprise contender ahead of Thursday's deadline.
Charania also noted that the picks the Wizards sent to Dallas include a 2026 first round pick from Oklahoma City and a 2030 protected first round pick from Golden State, along with a 2026 second round pick received from the Phoenix Suns, a 2027 second-round pick received from the Chicago Bulls and a 2029 second round pick received from the Houston Rockets. Washington will still retain its top-eight protected first round pick, adding confidence in the front office's return on the deal.
The addition of Davis gives Washington a second perennial All-Star alongside Young while paired with its young core around Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Bub Carrington. Josh Robbins of The Athletic reported that the deal is expected to give the Wizards a premier defensive frontcourt with the Wizards "envisioning a frontcourt of [Anthony] Davis, Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly."
Davis has been sidelined with a hand injury since early January, giving Washington a chance to pair him with Young in the recovery process following the trade deadline. He is averaging 20.1 points and 11.1 rebounds in 20 games this season. With the Wizards retaining its top-eight protected first round pick, just like Trae Young, Washington will likely take a patient approach with Davis' recovery after he has been sidelined since Jan. 8.
"He's doing some work in the gym, more uncontested work. We're doing some shooting," head coach Brian Keefe said of Trae Young. "But we said this before, prior to prioritizing his health, that's the number one thing. But he is able to do a little bit on the court, which is nice to see.”
The acquisition of Davis also emphasizes that the Wizards, like President of Monumental Michael Winger said last month, are done with the deconstruction phase of the roster, even if the vision wasn't always easy to see, as we noted back in December.
Ultimately, the Wizards parted ways with the two players that drew buzz as deadline targets in Khris Middleton and Marvin Bagley, though reporting up to the deadline pointed to Bagley as more likely to be moved.
In addition to Davis, Washington adds some depth with Russell averaging 10.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and four assists per game, while Hardy is averaging 6.9 points and 1.4 rebounds on 40.2% shooting from the field this season. Exum has also been inactive all season.
The Washington Wizards, standing 13-36 overall, will return to action on Thursday night against the Detroit Pistons on the road.