Anthony Davis' Feelings on Being Traded From Mavericks to Wizards Revealed

The Dallas Mavericks surprised people at the NBA's trade deadline when they sent Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, along with D'Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy, and Dante Exum, for a package that mainly included expiring contracts and middling draft picks.

It wasn't surprising that the Mavericks traded Davis, given his lack of availability ever since arriving in Dallas from the Los Angeles Lakers in the horrific Luka Doncic trade, but the team he was sent to was a shock. Most of the chatter surrounding him was about the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors. He was traded to the Eastern Conference, but maybe not the team he wanted.

A report surfaced from Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, where he said, "I don’t think the Wizards are going to offer him an extension... I’ve been told he’s not loving this.

A contract extension is one of the things Davis was seeking, whether with the Mavericks or another team, as he's eligible to sign a new deal this offseason. It would have been hard to find a team willing to hand him a large extension given how the last calendar year has played out for him, though.

However, Davis has since denied those reports in a feature with The Athletic.

“They said I said a lot of stuff in the other city, too, that I didn’t say,” Davis told David Aldridge. “...It’s hard to say (I would definitely stay in D.C.) without the proper plan,” Davis said. “Obviously, it’s tough right now with the team. It shows with their record, but adding certain pieces, that can change. It’s year by year."

Jan 6, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) stands on the court before the start of the game against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Anthony Davis Can Deny It All He Wants, He Doesn't Want to be a Wizard

Anthony Davis was caught wildly off guard in last year's trade between the Mavericks and Lakers. He'd voiced frustrations about not being able to play power forward as much as he wanted, and that had the Lakers feeling comfortable that they could move on. It helps when they get a generational superstar in return for pennies on the dollar.

Some people were reporting that Davis didn't want to move again so soon after having to pick up his life a year ago, and I can't imagine going to a team that has zero desire to win this year is going to help. Chris Haynes has already reported that he expects Davis to miss the rest of the season recovering from injuries.

Anthony Davis was always professional about being traded to the Mavericks, and he'll do the same with the Wizards. But in no way is he going to be thrilled about it.

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