Mavericks Ship Anthony Davis to Bad NBA Team in Blockbuster Trade

It finally happened. The Dallas Mavericks have traded Anthony Davis.

ESPN's Shams Charania has reported that the Dallas Mavericks have sent Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, as well as D'Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy, and Dante Exum in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, and Marvin Bagley III, as well as two first-round picks and three second-round picks.

The first-round picks are an unprotected 2026 first-round pick from the OKC Thunder and a 2030 top-20 protected pick from the Golden State Warriors. The second-rounders they received are a 2026 pick from the Phoenix Suns, a 2027 pick from the Chicago Bulls, and a 2029 pick from the Houston Rockets.

Breaking: The Dallas Mavericks are trading 10-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to the Washington Wizards for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, 2 first-round picks and 3 second-rounders, sources tell… pic.twitter.com/HzXQYAkOeK
— ESPN (@espn) February 4, 2026

Even outside of the draft capital that the Mavericks have received, they get a massive expiring contract in Khris Middleton, whose $33.2 million is set to expire after this season, as is Marvin Bagley's minimum contract. Malaki Branham is in the last year of his rookie contract, making $4.9 million. AJ Johnson is in the second year of his rookie contract and is an intriguing young talent, while

This is about as good a package as the Mavericks could've expected. They get two more shots in this loaded 2026 draft class, even if it's a late first and a mid-second. They get off a lot of future money, as Anthony Davis was set to make $58.4 million next year, D'Angelo Russell was set to make $5.9 million, and Jaden Hardy was set to make $6 million. They were projected to bea second apron team once they had a full roster next year, and this will go a long way to helping that.

Jan 6, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) reacts after being fouled against the Sacramento Kings in the first quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Finally, Dallas Mavericks Fans Can Move on From Luka Doncic Trade

The Mavericks could look to make other moves as well. Klay Thompson, Caleb Martin, and Daniel Gafford are larger contracts that are clogging the future books, but they were at least able to trade Russell and Hardy, who looked untradeable.

Anthony Davis was the primary return for the infamous Luka Doncic trade a year ago, but has played in just 29 regular-season games. He was also insistent on playing power forward, which hurt the spacing, since he is a poor shooter. But the lack of availability was the biggest frustration with Davis.

Davis is also eligible to sign a contract extension this offseason, which will be fascinating to watch with the Washington Wizards. This will further allow Mavericks fans to move forward from the Luka Doncic trade, which shattered the hearts of the whole city.

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