Anthony Davis Traded to Wizards in Reported 8-Player Trade Including 5 NBA Draft Picks

Star center Anthony Davis' time in a Dallas Mavericks uniform has come to an end after just one year.

After being acquired as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers last season, Davis was traded once again, as the Mavs sent him to the Washington Wizards along with Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. Washington will send a package that includes five draft picks, including two firsts.

While Bagley was included in the deal, "there has already been some external trade interest" in the veteran, "which means we won't know until after Thursday's 3 PM ET trade deadline if the player selected one spot ahead of Dončić in the 2018 draft is indeed Dallas-bound along with Middleton, AJ Johnson and Malakai Branham," according to NBA insider Marc Stein.

"The Wizards envision a frontcourt of Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly as being one of the best defensive frontcourts in the league," reported The Athletic's Christian Clark, Josh Robbins and Sam Amick. "This deal 'came out of left field,' according to a league source. One of the reasons the Wizards are said to be ecstatic is the the outgoing first-round picks have relatively little value."

ESPN previously reported "that the Mavericks also were engaged in Davis talks with the Toronto Raptors and the [Atlanta] Hawks."

Dallas will now move forward with 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg as the face of the franchise alongside star point guard Kyrie Irving.

Davis, who is currently sidelined with a ligament injury in his left hand, had waived his 15 percent trade kicker that would've cost Dallas $5.9 million upon his acquisition. The move not only gave the Mavs more flexibility but also indicated that he was eyeing a long-term deal with the team. Davis was considered a trade candidate for much of the 2025-26 campaign, but NBA insider Marc Stein reported ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline that his preference was to stay with the Mavs even though they were said to "welcome any trade interest that surfaces" for him. The franchise ultimately decided it was best to trade him.

Dallas' decision to ship away Dončić will go down as one of the most shocking trades in NBA history, but former general manager Nico Harrison said after acquiring Davis that he felt the team was better set up to compete for an NBA title. Trading Davis so soon is an even bigger indictment of Harrison's failed run as GM.

"I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We're built to win now and in the future," Harrison told ESPN's Tim MacMahon at the time.

Those plans quickly went awry, and the Mavs' long-term outlook took a major hit over the ensuing months.

Davis was already injured with an abdominal injury when he arrived to Dallas, and he later suffered a left adductor strain in his team debut that forced him to miss even more time. He eventually returned to the court and averaged 20.0 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.2 blocks in nine games with his new team.

In addition to Davis' injury, the Mavs suffered through a litany of ailments to multiple key players.

Irving buckled under the weight of carrying the team in the absence of Davis and Dončić, suffering a torn ACL in early March that ruled him out for the remainder of the year and for the start of the 2025-26 season. Centers Daniel Gafford (knee) and Dereck Lively II (ankle) were among those who missed significant time toward the end of last season as well.

The Mavs finished 10th in the Western Conference with a 39-43 record before losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament. They were 26-23 when they traded Dončić, who had been limited to 22 games while missing significant time with a left calf strain. Meanwhile, Dončić helped lead the Lakers to a third-place finish in the West and later signed a three-year, $165 million maximum contract extension with Los Angeles.

Things didn't get any better in Dallas to start the 2025-26 season, as Harrison was fired following the Mavs' 3-8 start. Davis joined Irving on the sidelines five games into the year after suffering a calf injury, leaving Flagg to shoulder the load.

Davis, who is averaging 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds in 20 games this season, is now joining a Wizards club that is 13-36, which puts it in a three-way tie for the fewest wins in the Eastern Conference.

Only the Sacramento Kings (12-39) have fewer wins in the NBA.

This is not the only notable trade Washington has made this season. The Wizards also acquired longtime Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young last month.

Of note, Davis has not played since Jan. 8 as the result of a hand injury. Young, meanwhile, won't make his debut until after the All-Star break as the result of knee and quad injuries.