The Washington Wizards were among the most active teams at the NBA trade deadline so far, acquiring All-Star caliber players in Anthony Davis and Trae Young. The trades signal the Wizards’ desire to move out of the bottom and start to contend in the Eastern Conference. And count former NBA star Gilbert Arenas as a fan of the Wizards’s recent moves.
During a recent episode of ‘The Arena,’ Gilbert Arenas gave his thoughts on what the trades for Anthony Davis and Trae Young mean for the Wizards.
“They are an A plus right now on trades. You got Trae Young and Anthony Davis, you keep your draft pick, and you have [Alex] Sarr, and you have Tre [Johnson],” Arenas said. “You have a whole bunch of young boys over there with your veterans, and you’re going to get a top-10 pick.”
The Wizards were the team that got trade season started when they acquired Young from the Atlanta Hawks. They did not have to give up any draft capital, only CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. In the trade with the Dallas Mavericks for Davis, they also added D’Angelo Russel, Dante Exum and Jaden Hardy in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malachi Branham, Marvin Bagley III and multiple draft picks.
Two of the picks the Wizards sent to the Mavericks were first rounders, one from the Oklahoma City Thunder this year, and one from the Golden State Warriors in 2030. As Arenas mentioned, the big win was the Wizards being able to add two star talents and not having to give up their own first round pick this season which is sure to be in the lottery.
Both Davis and Young are currently sidelined due to injury. The Wizards are now set to be a factor in the East as soon as next season amid their mix of veterans and young players.
