Wizards 2026 NBA trade deadline grade after Trae Young, Anthony Davis bombshells

The Washington Wizards haven’t had a winning season since 2017-18, but they’re doing everything they can to change that next year. They acquired four-time All-Star guard Trae Young and five-time All-NBA big man Anthony Davis over the last two months, signaling a new era in the nation’s capital.

The Wizards acquired Young from the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 7 and Davis from the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. Here’s the full summary of what they acquired and sent out:

Acquired:

• G Trae Young
• F Anthony Davis
• G D’Angelo Russell
• G Jaden Hardy
• G Dante Exum

Sent out:

• G CJ McCollum
• F Corey Kispert
• F Khris Middleton
• G AJ Johnson
• G Malaki Branham
• C Marvin Bagley III
• 2026 first-round pick (OKC)
• 2030 top-20 protected first-round pick (GSW)
• 2026 second-round pick (PHX)
• 2027 second-round pick (CHI)
• 2029 second-round pick (HOU)

In short, Washington acquired two stars without giving up any foundational players or lottery picks. This is because Atlanta and Dallas wanted to shed Young and Davis’s contracts, as they make a combined $100.4 million this season. Additionally, Young has a $49 million player option for next year, while Davis is due to make $58.4 million before a $62.7 million player option for 2027-28.

The Wizards gave the Hawks and Mavericks financial flexibility by sending expiring contracts like McColum, Middleton, Branham, and Bagley in addition to affordable longer-term contracts like Kispert and Johnson. They’ll now have less cap space moving forward, but they have two new stars to help them be competitive next season and possibly beyond. Mix that with their young core and whoever they draft in the lottery this summer, and it’s easily their best outlook since they made the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2017.

Wizards trade deadline grade: B+

Washington couldn’t have done better value-wise in either of these deals, other than getting draft capital back from Atlanta for helping it clear its books. However, it now has its least amount of financial flexibility since team president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins dealt Bradley Beal’s supermax contract to the Phoenix Suns shortly after they took office in the 2023 offseason.

On one hand, that’s a sign that the rebuild has progressed. Dawkins and Winger not only tore down the previous roster assembled by former general manager Tommy Sheppard, but they built a foundation of young talent and acquired two stars to springboard the organization into playoff contention after it drafts a lottery prospect this summer. The 2026 class has three superstars: Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, and BYU’s AJ Dybantsa. If they get any one of those three, the fanbase may start talking about championship banners over the next few years.

On the other hand, the Wizards need to be careful. They can’t sign Young or Davis to long-term extensions before they mesh with the young core, as they’d lock themsleves into a bad situation. Plus, Davis must prove he can stay healthy, as he’s played 65-plus games in a season just once since 2019.

Giving Young an extension sometime over the next year makes more sense, as he’ll be on an expiring deal if and when he accepts the player option. A contract in the neighborhood of two years with a player option for a third and a $35 million average annual salary could work for both sides, as it gives the 27-year-old security while also giving Washington more time to evaluate how he fits into the puzzle. Down the line, it could either trade him or re-sign him.

Young and Davis fill the team’s two biggest needs entering the season, which was a true point guard and a true center, respectively. The Wizards had neither, as second-year guard Bub Carrington struggled at point and second-year big man Alex Sarr is a natural power forward. The latter player has struggled against elite centers like Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns, who are each around 45 pounds heavier. Putting the 253-pound Davis at center, who is a five-time All-Defensive honoree and three-time NBA blocks leader, will allow Sarr to avoid those mismatches.

The most immediate mission is to not allow the injured Young or Davis to jeapordize the retention of the team’s top-eight protected draft pick. Young hasn’t played since Dec. 27 due to knee and quad ailments and will be reevaluated after the All-Star break, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Additionally, Young hasn’t played since Jan. 8 due to ligament damage in his hand but won’t need surgery, per the Associated Press.

Washington must rest them as much as possible in order to secure a bottom-four finish in the standings, which would guarantee the retention of its pick. Once it accomplishes that goal, it then must avoid getting locked into bad contracts with either star.

If the Wizards accomplish both missions, and Young and Davis lead them to the playoffs next season, then there won’t be much to criticize. But if something goes wrong during that journey, then these moves won’t age well.

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