On February 4, the Dallas Mavericks traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards — almost exactly one year after the Mavs traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis. The harsh reality is that the Doncic trade has become an absolute disaster for the Mavs — which is what many expected to occur.
The man who made the Doncic-Davis trade is no longer with the team, as former general manager Nico Harrison was fired early in the 2025-26 season. Harrison's mistake lives on, though, as the Mavs currently hold a 19-31 record just two years after reaching the NBA Finals. Davis appeared in only 29 games with Dallas and now his time with the Mavs is over.
Max Christie was part of the trade from last year as well, and he's played at a respectable level in 2025-26. Nevertheless, the Doncic-Davis trade is a disaster. That's the best word for it.
It is in the past now and Dallas is looking for a fresh start. So, how did the Mavs do in their trade with the Wizards?
Grading Mavericks' trade with Wizards
This trade grade will focus on the Mavericks. ClutchPoints also published a Wizards trade grade.
Here is a breakdown of the deal, via Shams Charania of ESPN:
Wizards receive: F Anthony Davis, G Jaden Hardy, G Dante Exum, G D'Angelo Russell
Mavericks receive: F Khris Middleton, G AJ Johnson, G Malaki Branham, F Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks and three second-round picks
The picks are obviously an important part of the deal. The first-round selections include a 2026 Thunder first-round pick and a 2030 protected Warriors first-round pick. Meanwhile, the second-round selections consist of a 2026 Suns pick, 2027 Bulls pick and 2029 Rockets pick.
Davis' trade value is not what it once is. He is still a good player, but the 32-year-old continues to deal with no shortage of injury trouble. Still, the Mavs were able to receive multiple first-round picks which is impressive. Neither first-round selection is especially intriguing, but the Mavericks did alright considering the circumstances. Adding three second-round picks only gives the team more leverage in future trades, or they could possibly find an overlooked player in the second-round in future drafts.
Middleton is the biggest name Dallas received as part of the deal. A buyout could be an option. Middleton will be a free agent ahead of the 2026-27 season. The Mavericks likely would not re-sign him, as Middleton is 34 and probably wants to be on a contender. Meanwhile, Dallas is now years away from seriously contending.
Johnson, 21, and Branham, 22, provide Dallas with guard depth for the future and help to make up for Russell, Exum and Hardy being included in the trade.
Bagley is perhaps the standout NBA-ready player of this trade who could stay in Dallas past this season. He is set to enter free agency during the offseason, but the Mavericks may make an effort to keep him. Bagley is only 26 years old and will help to fill the void the Mavs' frontcourt now has following the Davis trade.
Daniel Gafford is a trade candidate and could be moved as well, while Dereck Lively II is currently injured. The Bagley addition to the deal will help Dallas moving forward.
Final Mavs trade grade
Unless the Mavs somehow acquired a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Anthony Edwards, there was never going to be a way to truly make up for the shocking Doncic trade from a year ago. Given the Mavs' circumstance, though, they did well in this deal. It is not a perfect trade, but the deal helps to reset a franchise that is now prepared to build around Cooper Flagg for years to come.
Mavericks trade grade: B+
