When the Washington Wizards acquired 4x All-Star Trae Young on January 9, 2026, many believed that Washington would stand pat at this years NBA Trade Deadline. 

However, General Managers Will Dawkins and Brian Winger saw yet again an opportunity to improve their young roster. 

On February 4, 2026, Washington made their second blockbuster trade of the season when they acquired 10x All-Star Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks. 

Washington received Davis, along with guards Jaden Hardy, Dante Exum and D'Angelo Russell in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks and three second-round picks. 

Before you press the panic button, Washington did maintain their own first round picks. They traded the Oklahoma City Thunder's 2026 first round-pick along with the Golden State Warriors 2030 first-round pick that is top 20 protected. 

Dawkins and Winger managed to turn Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma into Trae Young, Anthony Davis and five first-round pick swaps. 

By acquiring both Young and Davis, Washington has added 14 All-Star appearances, six All-NBA honors and five All-Defense selections to their roster, without having to part ways with any of their premium assets. 

Additionally, Washington will have another opportunity to add an elite prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft if they can land a top eight pick. Adding a prospect such as Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson could propel this team to having championship aspirations. 

Washington will now go forward with a core of Davis, Young, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Justin Champagnie, Will Riley, Jamir Watkins and their 2026 first-round pick. Wow. 

Many fans are pleased with this move, as it gives Washington a dominant interior force and rebounder to pair alongside Sarr for the next two seasons. 

However, there are other NBA fans that dislike this move for Washington, due to the assets that they gave up to get an injury prone player in Davis. 

Since the start of 2020, Davis has only recorded one season where he has played 70 or more games. 

Davis' history with injuries is definitely concerning, but Washington will have about eight months until the start of next season to work with Davis and get the big man healthy. 

Davis is currently dealing with left hand ligament damage that he sustained on January 8 in a game against the Utah Jazz, but is expected to be reevaluated in late February. 

With all that out the way, let's grade this blockbuster trade for Washington. 

Washington isn't just acquiring an elite defender, but they are acquiring one of the best players in the NBA when healthy. Additionally, the move to acquire Jaden Hardy, Dante Exum and D'Angelo Russell in the deal makes this trade that much sweeter for Washington. 

At only 23 years-old, Hardy possesses a lot of upside as a spark plug off the bench. Over his four year NBA career, Hardy averages 7.9 points on 42.2% FG and 37.9% 3FG%. Hardy and Carrington could lead Washington's bench unit as the two primary ball handlers for the foreseeable future. 

Although Exum is on an expiring contract, he could still be a valuable mentor for Washington's youth, same with Russell who has one more year remaining on his contract following this season. 

The only reason I'm having trouble giving Washington an A grade is due to Davis' injury history. If the big man can only suit up for half of the season, this move wouldn't be worth it for Washington, especially when they parted ways with a solid asset in AJ Johnson and two first-round picks. 

Even if Davis struggles to stay on the court, he will still act as an elite mentor for rising star Alex Sarr. Davis not only raises the ceiling for this squad, but will also elevate their floor with his experience, leadership and talent. 

When Dawkins and Winger took over in the summer of 2023, they made it clear that they would be precise and selective in every move they make. 

They then embraced the "tank", understanding that their current roster with Kuzma, Poole and others wouldn't win them championships. They were patient, and waited for the perfect moments to strike. 

Fast forward three years, and Washington has finished their "deconstruction" phrase, where they trade for assets then flip them for more. 

The asset management by Dawkins and Winger has been elite, as they turned Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma into two All-Star talents. 

Washington will now enter the 2026-27 season with the goal to win playoff games, something that they haven't been able to do consistently for a whole decade.