Former Dallas Mavericks center Anthony Davis during an NBA game.
The Dallas Mavericks’ front office offered its clearest public rationale yet for the Anthony Davis trade, and the comments came with game-day urgency, just as Dallas prepared to host the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, Feb. 5.
In a media session, Mavericks co-interim decision-makers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi framed the move as a culture and championship-direction reset, emphasizing “winning” and long-term roster building over a straightforward timeline. Dallas reporter Mike Curtis posted the exchange on X.
Mike Curtis
Co-interim GMs Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi on the decision to trade Anthony Davis:
Finley: “We decided as an organization, front office & management; we needed to do something to bring back the winning culture in Dallas.”
Riccardi: “We had to take an honest look in the
The trade itself was massive: Washington received Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum, while Dallas received Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, plus two future first-round picks and three future second-round picks, per multiple reports aggregated by NBA.com.
Michael Finley: Mavericks Wanted “Winning Culture” and a “Championship Atmosphere”
Finley opened by thanking Davis and the other outgoing players for how they carried themselves “on and off the court,” then pivoted quickly to the “why.”
He said the organization believed it “needed to do something to bring back the winning culture” in Dallas and that the trade “puts us back in that conversation” with a “championship atmosphere” as the North Star.
That framing matters because it isn’t just “we made a trade.” It’s Dallas telling fans — on the day of a marquee divisional game — that the roster direction has been intentionally reset.
Matt Riccardi: “Look in the mirror” and take the non-straight path to titles
Riccardi echoed Finley’s appreciation for the departing group, but he went even more direct on the process.
He said the Mavericks had to take “an honest look at ourselves in the mirror” about where the team was versus where it wants to go — and acknowledged that the path to a championship isn’t always “straightforward,” sometimes requiring a “roundabout way.”
Riccardi’s bottom line: the goal remains the same — “We want to win championships… build a championship roster… provide the players proper resources and staff to make that happen.”
What It Means Tonight vs. Spurs (and what fans should watch)
If you’re searching this because Mavericks vs. Spurs is about to start, here’s the clean context:
Game time: Spurs at Mavericks is listed for 5:30 p.m. MT (6:30 p.m. local Dallas time) on Feb. 5 at American Airlines Center.
How to watch in Dallas-Fort Worth: local coverage details were published by WFAA (KFAA) ahead of the game.
On the roster side, this is a “new chapter” night. Davis is gone, and Dallas is leaning into a different mix, with Middleton/Barnes/Bagley-type roles (frontcourt/wing rotation flexibility) becoming immediate questions, plus how quickly the newcomers can stabilize minutes and spacing.
One more practical note:NBA.com also reported Davis has been out since mid-January with a left-hand ligament injury and did not need surgery, with weeks left on the original return timeline. That’s part of theright-now calculus fans will inevitably connect to the decision. Davis’ next court-time will come as a Wizard.
Key details
Trade: Davis/Hardy/Russell/Exum to Washington; Middleton/Bagley/Johnson/Branham + 5 picks to Dallas
Spurs vs. Mavericks: Feb. 5 at American Airlines Center; 5:30 p.m. MT listing
Trade deadline day: Feb. 5, 2026