The Dallas Mavericks have officially waved the white flag on the Anthony Davis experiment

Drew Smith
February 4, 2026
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In a genuinely shocking move, the Dallas Mavericks have traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Anthony Davis headlines a four-player package going to Washington, while the Mavericks get back Khris Middleton and two future first-round picks. Yes, you read that right….. the Washington Wizards.

Anthony Davis traded to the Washington Wizards

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 ESPN. pic.twitter.com/sfrQQubI5i
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 4, 2026

Almost nobody had Washington pegged as a buyer, let alone a team willing to swing this big. But the front office clearly thinks it sees a window.

After adding Trae Young earlier this year, the Wizards are betting that a Young–Davis core, supported by young pieces like Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, and Tre Johnson, can turn into something real sooner than expected.

That belief may be optimistic considering Washington entered Wednesday at 13–36, but this move screams “next season” more than “right now.”

From the Dallas side, it’s impossible to spin this as anything other than a failure.

The Mavericks traded for Davis almost exactly one year ago, sending out Luka Dončić, their franchise cornerstone, in a move that was controversial the second it happened. A year later, Davis is gone, and the return is a solid veteran and draft capital that does not come close to justifying that original gamble.

Anthony Davis’ time in Dallas was defined by availability issues. He averaged 20.2 points and 10.8 rebounds, which looks fine on paper, but he only played 29 games. Injuries, including one in January that still has him sidelined, crushed his value and limited what the Mavericks could realistically get back.

Dallas now finds itself in an awkward middle ground. They no longer have Luka. They no longer have Davis. And while two first-round picks help, they do not erase the fact that the Mavericks turned a generational superstar into a short, injury-filled Davis stint and a reset button.

For Washington, this is a classic high-risk, high-upside swing. They did not give up premium young talent, and if Davis can somehow stay healthy, pairing him with Trae Young could actually matter in the Eastern Conference next season.

That “if” is doing a lot of work, but it is probably a risk worth taking for a franchise that has been stuck in neutral for years. For Dallas, though, the verdict is brutal. One year after trading Luka Dončić, the Anthony Davis era is already over.No matter how you slice it, that is a massive organizational loss.