NBA Mock Trade: Houston Rockets Land Anthony Davis in Win-Now Deal

The Houston Rockets have the assets to go after Anthony Davis while keeping most of their future intact.

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

It's obvious by now, but the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder have separated themselves from the rest of the Western Conference, evident in their most recent playoff series. The other 13 teams are playing catch-up with a clear talent gap.

The Houston Rockets are one of those teams that isn't too far behind, but still needs to improve if they want even a fighter's chance at the NBA Finals. They had high hopes coming into this season, but injuries and holes within the rotation kept them from entering the top tier of the conference.

There are plenty of stars within Houston's range if the organization wants to pull off a blockbuster deal. While Jaylen Brown, Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been thrown around in the early offseason, one sleeper could take the Rockets to new heights: Anthony Davis.

Davis is on a Washington Wizards team looking to make the jump to postseason contention next season, especially with the new NBA Draft Lottery rules. However, at 33 years old, there's no time to waste, and pairing him with Kevin Durant would make for a formidable two-way duo with a championship pedigree.

The Rockets can also get a deal done without sacrificing much of their future. Houston can manage to get better on the interior while maintaining cap space and proper draft capital.

Houston Rockets receive: Anthony Davis

Washington Wizards receive: Tari Eason (via sign-and-trade), Jabari Smith Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, three second-round picks

Houston's New Starting Five: Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Anthony Davis

In this mock trade, the Rockets would take on an extra $12 million in cap space, but the assets they'd get back are too good to pass up. Smith has the potential to be a great player one day, but Davis's impact on both ends of the floor is simply elite. Even through injuries, he averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game this past season.

Eason is another young piece that would be unfortunate to lose, but bringing him back in restricted free agency would be tough, considering that a few suitors could pay enough to force the Rockets to let him walk. In this scenario, they'd lose Eason for something big in return.

Houston would also get off of Finney-Smith's horrid contract, and none of its first-round picks would be used. It's a big risk taking on Davis given his injury history, but the Rockets would still be able to keep Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard. They'd be giving up a small portion of their insurance for short-term success.