“Anthony Davis has been traded to WHO?” was the reaction from most basketball fans on Wednesday afternoon. Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the ten-time All-Star is being traded from the Mavericks to the Wizards. In return, Dallas will receive a slew of players and draft compensation.
To call this shocking is an understatement. Granted, rumors have been flying around Davis all season, and a trade itself isn’t unexpected. That the big man is headed to the Wizards comes as a major surprise. Washington, 13-36, has no realistic path towards contention this season. However, AD and recent acquisition Trae Young could form a potent duo in the years to come. As for Dallas, this move signals a full-blow rebuild around rookie phenom Cooper Flagg.
Which side got the best of this blockbuster? Below are my trade grades for the Mavericks and Wizards.
Anthony Davis trade grades
Dallas Mavericks
The players headed back to Dallas are Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malakhi Branham, and Marvin Bagley III. Of those four uninspiring names, Johnson has the highest potential of turning into something. Still, the former first-round pick has now been on three teams over two years as a pro. His failure to crack an abysmal Wizards rotation doesn’t inspire much confidence, either. Middleton and Bagley III are here solely for salary-matching purposes. Both veterans are currently playing on expiring contracts, opening up plenty of cap space for the Mavs this summer.
Ultimately, the reason for making this deal is primarily draft picks. In that regard, Dallas brings in a haul. Per Charania, the Mavericks are getting a 2026 Thunder first-round pick in addition to a 2030 protected Warriors first-rounder. In addition, Washington forks over three future second-round picks.
In many ways, this Mavericks front office deserves some credit. They correctly assessed that their lottery-bound club stands little chance of competing in the near future. Instead of paying a 32-year-old Davis, and guard D’Angelo Russell, they cleared nearly $70 million next season; Dallas has gone under the first apron and luxury tax line. To boot, the Mavs add to their already impressive war chest of draft assets. The franchise now possesses seven first-rounders over the next five years.
With all that being said, it’s impossible to frame this without the context of last winter’s Luka Doncic trade. Shipping off a top-five player was one thing. To justify the move with Davis, only to trade him one year later, is mind-boggling. There’s also a real possibility that the front office is selling low. AD, currently injured, might have garnered more suitors this offseason.
Grade: C+
Washington Wizards
What a wild start to 2026 for the Wizards. Perpetually mired in mediocrity, Washington decided to pull the trigger on a franchise-altering move. In theory, it doesn’t make much sense. A youthful, inexperienced roster doesn’t match the timeline for Davis. However, there’s something to be applauded about a team that’s had enough of tanking.
It’s also easy to forget just how good The Brow is when healthy. Even at less than 100% this season, he’s put up numbers. Over 20 games, the future Hall-of-Famer is putting up 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. On the other end of the floor, he’s posted 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks. That level of two-way play is almost impossible to come by in today’s NBA.
Pairing Davis with Young, a terrible defender, makes sense. It’ll be fun to see AD play alongside a bonafide distributor. Outside of LeBron James, the center hasn’t had that luxury throughout most of his career.
The downside is that Washington’s roster construction looks questionable at best right now. Alex Sarr has taken major strides during his second year in the association. Can he and Davis, two mediocre shooters, co-exist? It’s not like there are many sharpshooters on this squad to begin with. Just three Wizards players are above-average shooters from three-point range: Tre Johnson, Kyshawn George, and Bub Carrington. Even Young, lauded for his long-distance heat checks, is only a career 35% shooter from deep.
At this point, the future remains quite uncertain in D.C. A decent young nucleus has shown some promise. The Wizards will likely be adding a top-six pick to that core during this summer’s NBA Draft. Still, it’s difficult to fully buy in to a 32-year-old joining the East’s worst team. Russell, Hardy and Exum aren’t bad rotation pieces, but they don’t offer much more.
Ultimately, this trade made the Wizards deeper and more competitive going into next season. In return, they took on significant finances while giving up middling draft value. It’s difficult to view that as a bad thing. However, if Davis’ presence stifles the development of Sarr, this move could backfire. Given the on-court questions, this almost feels like an incomplete. Stay tuned over the coming months; I don’t think Washington is done dealing.
