Former Mavericks Guard D’Angelo Russell Refuses To Report To Wizards

This is now the second Dallas Mavericks guard who won't play for the Wizards after the Anthony Davis trade.

Oct 26, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard D'Angelo Russell (5) brings the ball up court during the game between the Mavericks and the Raptors at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Anthony Davis trade has had many twists and turns along the way. The Dallas Mavericks sent the 10-time All-Star and former NBA Champion to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday for a package that mainly included salary relief and draft capital, even if the capital was underwhelming.

Part of that trade involved the Mavericks getting off some bad contracts, including Jaden Hardy and D'Angelo Russell. Trading the three players took $70 million off the books for next year for the Mavs. They also sent Dante Exum out to help make it a 4-for-4 swap, and Exum has already been waived.

Exum isn't the only one who won't be reporting for the Wizards, as the team's general manager, Will Dawkins, discussed D'Angelo Russell's future with the team, or lack thereof.

"With D'Angelo, we've talked to him, talked to his representatives," Dawkins said. "At the time, he's not going to report as we try to figure out what's best for him and us in our future."

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— Henry J. Brown (@henryjbr_sports) February 8, 2026

READ MORE: Former Mavericks Guard Cut After Being Included in Anthony Davis Trade

Is This The End of the Road for D'Angelo Russell?

One of Nico Harrison's final brilliant moves was to sign D'Angelo Russell to a two-year, $11.5 million deal, which included a player option on the second year. He thought Russell could help bide time for a winning basketball team while they waited for Kyrie Irving to get healthy.

Many people at the time, including us at MavericksGameday, criticized that decision, as he was coming off the worst year of his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets, averaging career lows in scoring and three-point shooting. Harrison thought he could even be someone who plays alongside Irving when he returns.

What happened was Russell falling out of favor quickly with Jason Kidd, who clearly did not like Russell's brand of basketball. Honestly, who could blame him? Russell was even worse this season, dropping to new lows in scoring and shooting, and his shot IQ was as poor as you'll ever see in the NBA.

By the time 2026 rolled around, Russell was out of the rotation entirely. The only game he played in the New Year was the one game Jason Kidd was ejected from. He had five games missed at different points in the season due to "illness." He couldn't get playing time in a point guard rotation that featured Brandon Williams, Ryan Nembhard on a two-way contract, and Jaden Hardy. Cooper Flagg was thrust into a point guard role due to Russell's baffling playstyle.

Some team may sign him to a minimum contract the next time he's a free agent, but given how his last few tenures have gone.

READ MORE: Why Dirk Nowitzki is 'Disappointed' Mavericks Traded Anthony Davis to Wizards

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