Anthony Davis trade reaction: What the ‘experts’ are saying about Mavericks’, Wizards’ mega-deal

The Washington Wizards shocked the NBA world today by acquiring 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks in an eight-player blockbuster deal. The trade sends Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum to Washington in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks, and three second-round picks.

Here’s what sports pundits and analysts are saying about one of the most surprising trades of the 2026 deadline:

On The Surprise Factor

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation: “No one anticipated the Washington Wizards would be a suitor for his services… The Mavs and Wizards are each picking a lane with this deal. It’s probably the most surprising trade of the deadline so far, partly because it didn’t leak at all.” Ultimately, Washington earned a B for the move, and Dallas got a B+. 

Dan Favale, Bleacher Report: “Yes, those Wizards.” The outlet emphasized just how unexpected it was to see Washington push its chips into the center of the table, especially after already making a splash by acquiring Trae Young earlier in the year. They gave the Mavericks a D- for their side of the deal, while Washington was given a B+.

On The Wizards’ Bold Strategy

Luke Adams, Hoops Rumors: “While Washington is an unlikely landing spot for a veteran star like Davis, the 13-36 Wizards are clearly pivoting toward being competitive next season… As they did with Young, the Wizards are buying low on Davis amid an injury-plagued season in which he has dealt with several separate health issues and has been limited to 20 appearances.”

Tim MacMahon, ESPN (via X): “Wizards’ thought process on AD trade: With intent to be competitive next season, Washington added a 10-time All-Star big to pair with Trae Young without giving up homegrown young talent or premium picks.”

Jake Fischer, The Stein Line (via Hoops Rumors): Fischer revealed the Wizards’ vision for their frontcourt, reporting that Washington sees Alex Sarr as a “super-sized” and “switchable” power forward and had been seeking another impact frontcourt player to use alongside him. The team had explored deals for Domantas Sabonis and Walker Kessler before pulling the trigger on Davis.

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation: “It’s a really bold play for the Wizards, but the picks they gave up aren’t that valuable,” writes O’Donnell. “With the East wide open, the Wizards can legitimately go from worst to a contender if everything falls into place. The biggest piece of the puzzle will be Washington’s 2026 lottery pick. If the Wizards can land either Cameron Boozer or Darryn Peterson, suddenly this thing can go to the moon.”

On Anthony Davis’ Health and Risk Concerns

Liam Griffin, The Washington Times: “The 32-year-old big man has been sidelined for a month with a hand injury. He’s expected to miss another three weeks before being reevaluated,” notes Griffin. “A five-time All-Defense selection, Davis played just nine games for Dallas last season after a shocking midseason trade sent him from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for superstar Luka Doncic. This season, Davis missed 18 of the Mavericks’ first 38 games with groin and calf issues. “

He never played more than five games in a row in Dallas. 

ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (Trade Grade: C): “Instead of viewing him as the two-way force he was at best, teams surely now see Davis as an unreliable contributor with one of the NBA’s seven largest salaries,” writes Pelton. “It’s unlikely any team would have valued Davis as much as Dallas evidently did a year ago, and the series of injuries he’s dealt with since — including a hand sprain that has sidelined him for the last month — has only decreased his appeal.”

ESPN’s Bobby Marks: Earlier reporting noted that Davis is eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million extension on August 6, with the final season paying him $76.1 million when he’ll be 37. Marks pointed out this would be a major financial commitment for a player who “for the fifth time in six seasons, is projected to play fewer than 60 games.” (ESPN)

Skeptical Takes

Sam Quinn, CBS Sports: Quinn handed Washington a harsh grade with a D+, questioning whether the franchise should be betting on an aging, injury-prone superstar at this stage. His analysis acknowledged the theoretical upside of a Trae Young–Anthony Davis pairing, but raised concerns about health, long-term flexibility, and whether the Wizards’ roster is truly ready to contend. On the other side, he gave the Mavs a C- after calling the two-first round picks they received “about as fake as any ever traded for a player as notable as Davis.” He also said Dallas was simply taking part in “a cap dump dressed up as a blockbuster.”

Sam Allred, Soaring Down South: “Washington… what were you thinking?” is the first thing Allred asks in the post. Later he writes that the team “is ostensibly all-in on their star core of Young, Davis, and Alex Sarr. … What frankly, most NBA fans know is that this experiment is doomed to fail. Or, at least be limited to mediocre results.” That said, he does agree that the pairing Young and Davis “would be a dream core… if it were 2020.”

Stephen Noh, The Sporting News: “Most people will be in favor of this deal for that reason, and the grade that I’m going to give is going to get a lot of heat. But the low-cost crowd isn’t giving enough weight to the alternative scenario that the Wizards had. They could have spent their cap space more wisely, continuing to accrue draft picks for bad contracts until they find a superstar worth building around. Getting Davis is a move that they should have passed on.” And with that, he gave Washington a C-. Dallas earned a C+, noting that it was a financial move the team simply needed to make.

Eric Smithling, Yardbarker: “Adding Davis is unlikely to elevate Washington to much more than a fringe playoff team, making this a curious move for a team in a position to organically grow around a young core. It’s unclear what the Wizards are trying to accomplish, but if they think they’re closer to relevancy by acquiring the oft-injured Davis, they’ve set themselves up for a major disappointment.”

On The Legacy of the Luka-AD Swap

Jeremy Brener, SI.com: “The Dallas Mavericks are officially waving the white flag after trading Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in an eight-player deal just over a year after acquiring him in exchange for Luka Doncic. … The Mavericks have floundered since the trade, missing the playoffs in 2025 and struggling to get back there in 2026. Trading Davis is a sign that the team is officially in a rebuild,” writes Brener. “There is no point in crying over spilled milk and the Mavs should be grateful they have another potential superstar in Flagg.”

Svyatoslav Rovenchuk, Lakeshow Life: “It feels surreal just how far the former Lakers star has fallen, in terms of basketball situation, in such a short time. Davis is still in search of the light at the end of the tunnel following the seismic Luka Doncic trade.”

On Dallas’ Financial Relief

Tim McMahon, ESPN: McMahon notes (per ESPN’s Bobby Marks) that the Mavericks dropped below the luxury tax this season with the trade. “Dallas’ payroll next season dipped to approximately $150 million in guaranteed money, giving the Mavs flexibility in an offseason in which they will likely have another lottery draft pick.” In a post on X, he added that the team sheds approximately $70 million from its payroll for next season in the deal, representing a massive financial reset for the franchise.

Luke Adams, Hoops Rumors: Adams reported the trade will generate considerable short-term savings, with the Wizards taking advantage of their significant breathing room below the luxury tax line. He notes that salary cap expert Yossi Gozlan wrote on X that Dallas had been operating right up against the second tax apron but will move all the way out of apron and tax territory with this move, resulting in $57 million in savings.

On The Bigger Picture

Liam Griffin, The Washington Times: “The Wizards retained their most valuable draft picks in the deal,” Griffin writes. “Wizards general manager Will Dawkins has preached patience since he arrived in the District ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. He managed expectations, noting that the franchise needed to blow up its underperforming roster before it could begin moving toward contention.”

Schuyler Dixon, The Associated Press: “The trade is a big step for Dallas toward making Cooper Flagg the next face of the franchise after Doncic. The rookie No. 1 pick set an NBA scoring record for a teenager with 49 points last week… and the 19-year-old is on a three-game streak of 30-point games.”

Ricky O’Donnell, SB Nation: “The Wizards have been tanking by design since trading Bradley Beal in the summer of 2023. Washington has collected some nice young players in Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, Kyshawn George, and Bilal Coulibaly, but they didn’t have a star to stir the drink. Now Washington has two potential veteran stars in Trae Young and Anthony Davis who complement each other well on both ends of the floor.”