What Will Wizards Rotation Look Like After Anthony Davis Trade?

For the second time in a month, the Washington Wizards have opted to package tertiary pieces in exchange for a proven All-Star. Where CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert once partnered to bag Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks, these same Wizards just sent nearly half of their rotation to the Dallas Mavericks to invite Anthony Davis, as well as a few friends of his own, over to the east.

While the Wizards miraculously held onto everyone in their young core, the players who weren't hand-picked by this regime weren't so lucky. Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, AJ Johnson and Malaki Branham served the city well during their respective short tenures, but their salaries and the lack of long-term intrigue they offered to the squad made them expendable when the front office saw an opportunity to take next season even more seriously.

Washington Wizards Guard Trae Young and Forward Anthony Davis — Apr 2, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) looks to pass as Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) defends during the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

But Davis, like Young, won't be expected to play much this season. While the former Hawks point guard has suited up for just 10 games this season, none of which have happened since his cross-conference trade, Davis only saw action for 20 Dallas games of his own. The Wizards, now thin on players who can actually contribute day-to-day minutes, will need to evaluate what they're left with over the short-term.

Which Rotational Options are Left?

As previously mentioned, none of the pieces selected from any Washington-based draft picks will be sent packing for Davis. That means that Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson are all safe.

The same can be said of other up-and-comers like Will Riley and Jamir Watkins, their deeper-cut rookies, as well as the unrelenting hustler in Justin Champagnie. Outside of those still-valued prospects, though, this roster's depth will be barren while the former Mavericks make their move.

With the former Johnson out and the squad's scoring hierarchy already hurting following the departure of McCollum and Kispert, these Wizards have been regularly deploying G Leaguers like AJ Johnson, Branham, Shareef Cooper and Skal Labissière since limping into February. Now, with the fringe backcourt options on to Texas along with a reliable backup in Bagley, they'll need veterans with size like Labissière to continue stepping up to help Sarr in the middle of the court while Davis bides his time.

Washington Wizards Center Skal Labissiere — Feb 1, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards center Skal Labissiere (17) celebrates during the second half against the Sacramento Kings at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Incoming Mavericks

This is where the shrapnel flying into D.C. along with Davis will come in handy. D'Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy and Dante Exum will accompany the big man in the blockbuster, and some of those players have chances to see quick minutes.

Russell, the bane of Los Angeles Lakers fans' collective existence during his latter days alongside Davis and LeBron James, was inked to Dallas to revamp his image as a functional-enough point guard while the Mavericks waited for Kyrie Irving's return from his ACL tear. He didn't last in head coach Jason Kidd's rotation, however, shooting a below average field goal percentage of 40.5% while posting an untenable 29.5% 3-point success clip.

Washington Wizards Guards Tre Johnson and D'Angelo Russell — Oct 24, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard D'Angelo Russell (5) dribbles as Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson (12) defends during the first quarter at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

That figure will be sure to bounce back with increased reps from the infamously-streaky shooter. He checked into just one of the last 17 games he saw during his time in Dallas, but Russell, who's advocated for his love of low-leverage hoops upon prior trades, may help the Wizards continue scoring amidst Young's absence.

Hardy, too, can help carry the scoring burden, with the 23-year-old microwave guard having himself slipped in-and-out of the list of regularly-deployed Mavericks after three and a half seasons on the team. Exum would have been the only member of that bunch to actually assist Wizards head coach Brian Keefe's vision of creating offense through defense, but after undergoing season-ending knee surgery before 2025's close, he'll enter unrestricted free agency this summer without ever suiting up for his newest team.

Luckily for the Wizards, they have no intention of putting together anything resembling competitive hoops from this point on. While the bevy of young prospects continue getting their feet wet with increased burn, the new complementary pieces will attempt to gel with Keefe's culture in auditioning for roles through the foreseeable future, while the ready-made stars in Young and Davis count down the minutes until they can help pull the Wizards out of their lengthy rebuild.

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