The Washington Wizards made the move to add a longtime All-Star on Wednesday, but they also showed interest in two more stars before pulling the trigger on a deal.
The Washington Wizards drew headlines in the final day leading up to the 2026 NBA trade deadline after pulling off a major deal to acquire ten-time All-Star Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks in an eight-player trade, pairing a second experienced veteran alongside a young roster while maintaining the top-eight protected pick in April's loaded NBA Draft. But according to reports both before and after the Anthony Davis trade, the Washington Wizards were also in the mix for two other big men including being quietly in the mix for one of the NBA's top big men.
That would include Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, who according to NBA inside Jake Fischer, the Wizards reached out to the Knicks about ahead of pulling the trigger on a deal for Davis. Washington reportedly offered a similar package that Dallas ultimately pulled the trigger on.
Towns, 30, has found himself amid a swirl of trade speculation over the last week with rumors heating up once trade talk intensified around Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of the deadline, though reports on Wednesday pointing to the Knicks cooling their pursuit of Antetokounmpo. The news also came one day removed from Towns finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds to help hand Washington a 132-101 loss, pushing the Wizards to 13-36 on the season.
But Towns would also mark the latest big man connected to Washington with general manager Will Dawkins leaving no stone unturned. While it isn't the first time Sabonis has been linked to Washington, it marks arguably the most serious pursuit by the front office. Ben Strober, host of Locked On Wizards and Wizards Roundtable reporter, noted that Sabonis was warming up with the Kings ahead of Sunday's matchup against Washington before being ruled inactive due to his back injury, an injury that has limited him to only 14 starts and 18 appearances this season. He's averaging a double-double with 15.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, the third consecutive season he's done so, while he is in year two of a four year, $186 million contract.
Washington was reportedly willing to part with veteran Khris Middleton, who was later included in the Dallas trade, though talks stalled due to "a trade framework presented to the Kings that would compel them to part with Sabonis." The Toronto Raptors were also linked to Sabonis, those reports into Wednesday afternoon pointed to stalled negotiations ahead of the deadline.
In the end, Washington pulled the trigger on a deal that retained its most coveted draft pick in the top-eight 2026 protected pick, while three of the four players sent are on expiring deals. The move did push next year's payroll over the expected salary cap, though with a favorable draft pick the continued hope, Washington's outlook for the future grades favorably as general manager Will Dawkins looks to navigate the end of the rebuild.
The move also comes two weeks after President of Monumental Basketball, Michael Winger, backed away from setting expectations for the 2026-27 season. But with the rumored and finalized months over the last month, it's clear that Washington is approaching elevated expectations behind its two marquee trade acquisitions.