The Dallas Mavericks have agreed to trade 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in a sweeping eight-player deal aimed at resetting the franchise around No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. The blockbuster trade sends Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to Washington in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III and a package of draft picks that gives Dallas added financial and roster flexibility moving forward.
As part of the deal, the Mavericks will receive two first-round picks and three second-rounders. One first-rounder is the least favorable 2026 selection among the Clippers, Rockets and Thunder, which is expected to land at the end of the first round. The second is a top-20-protected 2030 pick originally belonging to Golden State. The second-round picks are from third-party teams. Washington is expected to waive Exum, while retaining both Russell and Hardy.
The move marks a major shift for Dallas, which had been gauging the market for Davis since the early November firing of former general manager Nico Harrison. That decision followed significant fan backlash after last year’s trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Lakers, a deal that made Davis the centerpiece of the Mavericks’ return. Injuries, however, limited Davis to just 29 games in a Dallas uniform.
Davis’ tenure with the Mavericks was plagued by health issues. After debuting with 26 points and a franchise-record-tying defensive performance in February, he suffered a left adductor strain that sidelined him for six weeks. Additional injuries followed, including a calf strain early this season and ligament damage in his left hand in January. Dallas went 16-13 in games Davis played and just 16-38 without him, a disparity that played a role in the franchise’s decision to pivot toward a long-term rebuild.
Financially, the trade offers Dallas significant relief. The Mavericks shed Hardy’s $6 million salary and Russell’s $6 million player option for next season, taking back mostly expiring contracts in Middleton, Branham and Bagley. Davis is owed $58.5 million next season and holds a $62.8 million player option for 2027-28, and while he had interest in an extension, Dallas opted instead to reset its timeline after landing Flagg in the draft lottery despite just a 1.8% chance at the first overall pick.
For Washington, the trade represents a step toward competitiveness after years of rebuilding. The Wizards have now added Davis to a roster that already includes Trae Young, whom they acquired last month, though Young has yet to return from knee and quadriceps injuries. Team sources emphasized that Washington prioritized keeping its own core intact, including Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson, while using extra assets to land a proven star.
The Wizards envision Davis anchoring a defensive frontcourt alongside Sarr and Coulibaly, giving the team size, length and versatility capable of covering for Young’s defensive limitations. With a young group that also includes Bub Carrington and Will Riley, Washington believes the additions of Davis and Young can accelerate its timeline and make the team far more competitive by the 2026-27 season.
Davis, who turns 33 in March, is averaging 20.1 points and 11.1 rebounds this season despite appearing in only 20 games. He remains sidelined with a hand injury and may play sparingly the rest of the year, a scenario that would not significantly affect Washington’s lottery positioning. When healthy, however, he remains one of the league’s most impactful two-way big men.
Dallas, meanwhile, is fully embracing a youth-driven reset. Flagg has already validated the franchise’s new direction, averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists at just 19 years old despite an injury-depleted supporting cast. The Mavericks are at 19-31, sitting 12th in the Western Conference, but with clarity about their future as they begin building around a potential generational star.
