Mavericks trade Anthony Davis to Wizards, sources say

The Mavericks have agreed to trade 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis to the Wizards in an eight-player blockbuster designed to maximize Dallas’ flexibility to rely on star rookie Cooper Flagg, sources told ESPN.

The Mavs will send Davis and guards Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to the Wizards for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks and three second-round picks, sources said.

The first-round picks the Wizards included in the deal are the Thunder’s 2026 selection and the Warriors’ 2030 top-20 protected pick, according to sources.

The Mavs had been aggressively exploring the Davis market since the early November firing of former general manager Nico Harrison, a move made by Gov. Patrick Dumont largely because of fan backlash stemming from last year’s trade of perennial MVP candidate Luka Doncic to the Lakers.

Davis, the centerpiece of the return in the Doncic trade, was limited to just 29 games in a Mavs uniform due to various injuries. He is owed $58.5 million next season, has a $62.8 million player option in 2027-28 and is eligible to sign a contract extension in August. Davis has been out since early January due to ligament damage in his left hand.

Davis landing with the Wizards marks the second decorated, albeit injured, star player acquired this season by Washington. The rebuilding Wizards also traded for Hawks star Trae Young last month, but the veteran guard hasn’t played since December due to knee and quad injuries.

The Mavs also lost Hardy’s $6 million salary and Russell’s $6 million player option for next season in a trade built around the expiring contracts of Middleton, Branham and Bagley.

The Mavs fell below the luxury tax this season thanks to the trade, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks. Dallas’ payroll next season has dropped to about $150 million in guaranteed money, giving the Mavs flexibility during an offseason in which they will likely have another lottery draft pick.

The Wizards accepted Davis with the intention of being competitive next season after a long rebuilding process. A team source said Washington’s priority is keeping its own premium picks and young homegrown talent — including Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly and Tre Johnson — off the trade.

Davis, 32, is averaging 20.1 points and 11.1 rebounds in 20 games this season.

After trading Doncic last season, Harrison said the Mavs would have a “three to four year” championship window with a team led by Davis and star guard Kyrie Irving, but that duo only played one game together.

Davis suffered a groin strain in his debut with the Mavs that kept him sidelined for six weeks, and Irving suffered a torn ACL less than a month later, an injury he has yet to return from.

The Mavs’ remarkable fortune in the draft lottery, winning the No. 1 pick despite just a 1.8 percent chance, gave the franchise the opportunity to draft a generational talent in Flagg and focus on building around him.

Flagg, 19, has lived up to the hype despite an injury-ravaged supporting cast, averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game so far this season.

The Mavericks (19-31) entered Wednesday on a five-game losing streak and are 12th in the Western Conference, 3.5 games behind the 10th-place Trail Blazers (23-28).