The NBA trade carousel continued Wednesday with another stunning deal. Anthony Davis is headed from the Mavericks to the Wizards in a blockbuster trade. Davis, Jaden Harden, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum are all being moved to Washington.
The rebuilding Mavericks are getting Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks and three second-round picks from Washington, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Davis was in trade rumors ahead of the deadline, but it was unclear what his price tag would be. He’s still injured due to a hand issue, meaning it was unlikely a contender took a swing at him. Instead, the rebuilding Wizards land the 10-time All-Star forward.
The Wizards have made a pair of big moves this trade season, already landing guard Trae Young from the Hawks. Washington at 13-36 isn’t going anywhere this season. But it’s clear the Wizards are looking to compete next season with Davis and Young leading the way with their young core.
The Mavs continue to sell pieces off this deadline. While No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg has looked great in his rookie season, Dallas has struggled as a team this year. This is also life post-Luka Doncic as the Mavs look to build around Flagg going forward.