Anthony Davis traded to Wizards: Trade grades, Dallas’ next steps

anthony davis The era ended in Dallas after barely a year Mavericks Astonished nba by doing business luka doncic till Los Angeles Lakers For a package headlined by the 10-time All-Star.

Reoriented their roster around the No. 1 pick cooper flagThe Mavericks prioritized cap flexibility 12 months after former GM Nico Harrison argued that Davis’ two-way stardom made him a better bet to lead Dallas’ championship run than Doncic. This trade sheds the remaining $120 million on Davis’ contract and brings back some of the last picks in the first round.

meanwhile, washington wizards Let’s continue to build on another blockbuster trade for a veteran star. They will pair Davis with fellow newcomer trey young As well as a group of young talents heading into the spotlight as 2024 first-round picks kishawn george And Alex Sarr.

How might the new-look Wizards come together in 2026-27? And what’s next for the Mavericks as they attempt to bolster the flag with young talent? let’s go break the nets Of this unexpected step.

dallas mavericks to get:

F khris middleton
Yes aj johnson
Yes Malachi Branham
F Marvin Bagley III
2026 first-round pick (from OKC)
2030 first-round pick (from GS, top-20 protected)
2026 second-round pick (from PHX)
2027 second-round pick (from CHI)
2029 Second Round Selection (from HOU)

washington wizards to get:

F anthony davis
Yes jaden hardy
Yes D’Angelo Russell
Yes dante exum

grade

Dallas Mavericks: b

This is a grade for the Mavericks that are passing Davis away based on his current market, not one that incorporates the decision to acquire him in the first place. (I already At that time that business was placed in F category.)

It’s unlikely any team will value Davis as much as Dallas apparently did a year ago, and a series of injuries he’s battled since — including a hand sprain that’s kept him out for the past month — have only diminished his appeal. Instead of viewing him as the two-way force he was at his best, teams certainly now view Davis as an incredible contributor with one of the NBA’s seven largest salaries.

In an era when apron restrictions have made teams more conscious than ever of managing their cap space efficiently, it was difficult to command significant draft compensation for Davis or a move for equivalent young talent. The Mavericks probably faced a choice between such deals prioritizing cutting salary, acquiring players with similar large contracts or waiting until this summer to try to move Davis.

Of those options, I fully agree with making this deal now, which was the best way for Dallas to avoid paying a huge luxury tax bill for a lottery team. The Mavericks saved so much 2025-26 salary in this trade that the Wizards, remarkably, are now closer to the tax.

There was a theory that Dallas could hold on to Davis and focus on winning in 2026-27, when kyrie irving Will be returning from an ACL injury and looks capable of playing a key role in a Flagg contending team. The Mavericks likely won’t have a 2027 first-round pick, which they only keep if they finish in the top two, so from that standpoint, there wasn’t much downside to trying to win as many games as possible.

At the same time, that path seemed like a repeat of the mistakes teams often make in trying to move around their young stars too quickly. Trying to peak when Flagg turns 20 doesn’t make as much sense as trying to accumulate players on his timeline to replace draft picks Dallas has already traded out.

Granted, there will be no premium selection from this deal. The Mavericks are getting what will likely be the 30th pick in this year’s NBA Draft – although detroit pistons That could push it to No. 29 — and a 2030 pick that can’t go higher than No. 21 at safety.

Eating more apple slices is still a positive thing for Dallas. It no longer controls its first-round picks between 2027 and 2030, having sold two of them and replaced the other two with potential contenders. The Mavericks now have three first-rounders coming from other teams, including the only first-rounder they got. Los Angeles Lakers Doncic in trade.

There may be more to come, depending on how determined Dallas is to destroy things. role players max christie, Daniel Gafford, nazi marshal And pj washington Are on fair contracts that will return pick compensation. Once the Mavericks are ready to cross that bridge, Irving could do the same. Of those players, Irving is the least likely to be a part of the roster when the Flag come into their own at the end of this decade.

The cap flexibility that Dallas created by cutting up to $67 million in 2026-27 salary — depending on whether Russell picks up his player option — could also be put to use accumulated draft picks. The Mavericks will need to trade more players under contract to create cap space this summer, but the difference between Davis and Middleton’s salaries should be able to structure this deal to generate a trade exception worth more than $20 million.

For now, it’s important for Dallas to maximize its own 2026 first-round selection, which will enter the lottery seventh overall if the season ends today. However, the Mavericks have plenty of competition for that spot milwaukee bucks There is also a possibility of them pulling the plug on the season and memphis grizzlies business distant star jaren jackson jr. All three teams are sitting at 19 wins, although two additional losses have Dallas in last place.

The Mavericks could accomplish that goal and get some clarity on Johnson’s future by giving him an extended look over the remainder of the season. Johnson, the No. 23 overall pick in the 2024 first round, was traded twice at multiple deadlines and has only played 853 minutes in his NBA career so far. He has shown promise in recent extended outings, totaling 31 points and eight assists (albeit with seven turnovers) on 11-of-21 shooting over his last two games for the Wizards.

Washington Wizards: C

So, what is Washington doing now after the Young and Davis deals last month?

Acquiring Davis because of the ongoing injury fits more easily into the Wizards’ need to finish with a bottom-four record, thereby ensuring they will keep the first-round pick that goes. new York Knicks If it falls out of the top eight. Washington is fourth in the lottery standings, but there’s a chance he’ll be traded New Orleans PelicansThose who have the same 13 wins and no incentive to lose games for draft positioning.

With Davis likely to sit out the remainder of this season, the Wizards will come into training camp with a different style to integrate. He has spent almost all of this season playing four-out basketball around center Alex SarrWho has played only 7.4 minutes as a power forward according to my analysis of NBA Advanced Stats’ lineup data.

We saw Sarr next to a big man several times during his rookie campaign, when he started four games at once jonas valanciunasA total of 138 minutes in fourth place. Whether Davis or Sarr are technically considered the centers in Washington’s starting five, it won’t matter much how the team fits these two together.

Defensively, they should be a powerful duo, well-equipped to cover for Young’s shortcomings on that end. Sarr has made dramatic progress as a rim protector in his second NBA season, ranking outside the league’s top 10 in opponent accuracy on shots inside 5 feet as the primary defender. GeniusIQ NBA advanced stats tracking. Davis is way ahead of him. The only team in this group with two players… Dallas, with Davis and Daniel Gafford. (Somehow, Harrison shed a single tear just thinking about this situation.)

I have more questions about how Davis and Sarr will work together on offense. While he shot 39% from the field as a rookie, Sarr has improved his efficiency in Year 2 by working closer to the basket. His average shot distance has dropped from 14 feet to less than 10, according to basketball reference.

If Davis Young serves as the primary screen setter for pick-and-rolls, it puts Sarr back in position to clear the floor for those plays. He’s improved to 33% from 3-point range after hitting 31% as a rookie, but defenses will definitely see Sarr bombing away from 3s rather than finishing in the paint.

From a big-picture perspective, the fear is that wizards are taking their reconstruction out of the oven before it’s fully cooked. The additions of Davis and Young would create a sense of urgency to be competitive next season, especially if both get the new contracts they are seeking. (If Young declines his $49 million player option, he can become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Davis will try to exercise his $62.8 million player option in 2027-28.)

Sarr and George look like building blocks, while Carrington and 2025 lottery pick trey johnson The potential has shined. Yet Washington has no chance at the flag level. Sarr, ranked 22nd, was the only Wizards player in the rankings ESPN’s Top 25 Under 25 rankings in December.

Perhaps the Wizards can ride youth and depth to a balanced lineup to compete in the East. More likely, they need one of their young stars to move up in the 2026 lottery or crack the top four. To that conclusion, I probably would have been more patient and waited for the big move after adding Young.