This time last year, the professional sports world was shaken by the infamous trade involving former Dallas Mavericks player Luka Dončić being swapped for then Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis. This historic trade eventually led to then general manager Nico Harrison’s firing from the Dallas Maverick’s brass. Davis, the 6-foot 10 two-way juggernaut, was supposed to be a key piece of the new look, defensive-oriented Mavericks team. However, Davis continued a career-long trend of being hampered by injury, having long been dubbed “Day to Dayvis” for his injury history. In the 2024-2025 season, Davis missed 31 games of the 82 game season.
Post-Harrison firing and the Mavericks selecting Cooper Flagg first overall, the Mavericks’ front office looked to move Davis as they wanted to form a younger core of talent. The Washington Wizards, who have recently come into a win-now mode with the trade acquisition of Trae Young and Kyshawn George, became an ideal suitor for Davis.
The Mavericks received a litany of capital in return for Davis, along with the guard trio of Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum. The team acquired veteran forward Khris Middleton, developmental guards A.J. Johnson and Malaki Branham, along with a solid big man in Marvin Bagley III.
To accompany a middling return of players, the Wizards sent three second-rounders and two first-rounders. One first-rounder is from the highly successful Oklahoma City Thunder and will be in the 2026 draft, so expect a late first-rounder there. The second of the two picks is a protected 2030 Golden State Warriors first. The protection on the pick means the pick only belongs to Dallas if certain requirements are met. Usually, these requirements are tied to lottery pick results.
The Mavericks received mixed grades across sports media outlets for their handling of the trade, not only due to this essentially being the haul for one Luka Dončić, but also purely for it seemingly being a hastily thrown together trade to rid themselves of most all remnants of the haunting Dončić trade.
Sports Illustrated’s Liam McKeone gave the Mavericks a D+, citing the diminishing value on the players in the return, along with the poor selection of picks involved in the trade. However, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton gave a more generous B+ grade to the Mavericks, crediting them for their ability to shift their gears and move on from Davis’ hefty incoming salary and also receive assets in the same move.
