Wizards trade grade for Anthony Davis blockbuster with Mavericks

For the second time in two months, the once-obscure Washington Wizards are a main topic of conversation in the NBA world. They agreed to acquire five-time All-NBA honoree Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday.

The full details are below, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Wizards get:

• C Anthony Davis
• G Jaden Hardy
• G D’Angelo Russell
• G Dante Exum

Mavericks get:

• 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)

This trade gives the Wizards another star without giving up any key assets after acquiring Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks in January. Like Young (quad, knee), Davis (finger) is injured, so Washington doesn’t have to worry about winning too many games to keep its top-eight protected lottery pick this summer. This is another move for next season.

Davis sustained ligament damage in his left hand when defending Utah Jazz big man Lauri Markkanen on Jan. 8, per Charania. The Mavericks announced that the 10-time All-Star was expected to heal in approximately six weeks.

Meanwhile, Young hasn’t played since his final appearance with the Hawks on Dec. 27, and he will be reevaluated after the All-Star break, per Charania. Washington is currently tied with the Brooklyn Nets for the fourth-worst record in the NBA at 13-36, and its must finish no higher than fourth-worst in the standings to guarantee the retention of its lottery pick.

Letting both Young and Davis rest for as long as possible is the best way to make sure that happens. The 2026 draft class, headlined by superstar prospects Darryn Peterson (Kansas), Cameron Boozer (Duke), and AJ Dybantsa (BYU), is too talented to risk losing that pick.

Conversely, giving up non-lottery picks is hardly a tragedy for the Wizards at this point in their rebuild. They already have a deep young core with second-year big man Alex Sarr, second-year wing Kyshawn George, rookie guard Tre Johnson, third-year guard Bilal Coulibaly, second-year guard Bub Carrington, and rookie wing Will Riley. Adding another lottery pick to that group this summer is a strong enough foundation to build on without picking another prospect No. 30 overall, which is likely where the Oklahoma City Thunder’s selection will fall.

That’s why flipping that pick along with other expendable assets for Davis, who is one of the NBA’s best players when healthy, was a no-brainer. The 32-year-old is scheduled to make $58.4 million next season before a $62.7 million player option in 2027, so Washington can get him off the books by 2028 at worst if he can’t stay on the court.

Assuming Young accepts his $49 million player option this summer and/or the Wizards re-sign him, they could have a rotation consisting of him, Davis, the aforementioned young core, and whoever it drafts in the lottery. On paper, that’s more than enough talent to be an Eastern Conference Play-In Team, if not better. Reaching that level would be a significant leap for an organization that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2021.

Wizards trade grade: A

Sarr’s sophomore leap has been one of Washington’s most exciting storylines this season, as he ranks second in the NBA only to San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama with 2.1 blocks per game while averaging 17.4 points on 49.6 percent shooting (33.3 percent 3-point) with 7.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists over 28.5 minutes. However, the seven-foot, 205-pounder would fit better as a power forward long-term rather than at center, where he’s primarily played this year.

Sarr has struggled against stronger big men like Minnesota Timberwolves veteran Rudy Gobert and New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns, so giving the 253-pound Davis those matchups instead will take stress off him. Sarr is a nimble rim-protector who can switch on defense while also finding open teammates and finishing plays offensively, so he has plenty of value without guarding players who are tens of pounds heavier than him.

Davis is a five-time All-Defensive honoree and three-time blocks leader, so he’s well-equipped to be the Wizards’ center. The former Kentucky Wildcat is also a beast offensively and on the boards, as he owns career averages of 24 points on 52.2 percent shooting (29.5 percent 3-point) with 10.7 rebounds. This season, he’s averaging 20.4 points on 50.6 percent shooting (27 percent 3-point) with 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.1 steals over 31.3 minutes (20 games).

Plus, Young facilitating the offense will open up looks at the rim for both Sarr and Davis, as he led the NBA with 11.6 assists per game last season and averages 9.8 for his career. It’s hard to criticize Washington for assembling this lineup without giving up any important assets.

The organization sent Dallas three expiring contracts as well as 2024 first-round pick AJ Johnson, who’s averaging just 8.6 minutes this season. It acquired him and Middleton from the Milwaukee Bucks in last year’s Kyle Kuzma trade, and Davis is the only star out of all of those players. That means that the team turned Kuzma, who’s averaging 13.2 points on 49 percent shooting (32.8 percent 3-point) with 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists over 26.8 minutes for the Bucks this year, into Davis.

This resembles how the Wizards turned Bradley Beal’s supermax deal that featured a full no-trade clause into Young through a series of moves since general manager Will Dawkins and team president Michael Winger took office in 2023. The fanbase couldn’t have asked for better asset management, as they didn’t give up a lottery pick or a young foundational player in any of the deals leading to Young and Davis.

The only downside is losing cap space, which decreases financial flexibility moving forward. Washington was scheduled to have clear books this offseason before getting Young, as veteran guard Corey Kispert would have been its only player on a non-rookie fully guaranteed contract. But it costs money to get elite talent, which both Young and Davis provide.

Even if neither star pans out in the nation’s capital, the Wizards will have a deep young core under contract for multiple years to keep them afloat. There’s little chance they’ll have to start a full rebuild again anytime soon, which is miraculous for a fanbase that hasn’t experienced a conference finals berth since 1979.

The post Wizards trade grade for Anthony Davis blockbuster with Mavericks appeared first on ClutchPoints.