Surprising details emerge behind Anthony Davis' trade to Wizards

Jan 6, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) stands on the court before the start of the game against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

One of the biggest moves of the NBA trade deadline saw the Dallas Mavericks trade Anthony Davis, D’Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy, and Dante Exum to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, and five draft picks.

While it wasn’t a shock that the Mavericks decided to move on from Davis — a possibility that had been brewing for weeks leading up to the deadline — Dallas notably chose not to consult Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports, when making the decision, according to The Athletic.

“In the weeks leading up to Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, Dallas Mavericks officials insisted they wouldn’t be bullied by Anthony Davis’ agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul,” The Athletic’s Christian Clark wrote.

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The Wizards expressed interest in acquiring Davis, who will now be paired with Trae Young and a young nucleus that includes Tre Johnson and Alex Sarr.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks are shifting toward building a roster around rookie sensation Cooper Flagg, and shedding multi-year contracts was viewed as a step in the right direction.

“I think we had to take an honest look at ourselves in the mirror and evaluate where we were and where we wanted to be,” Mavericks co-interim general manager Matt Riccardi said. “Sometimes the path isn’t straightforward. Sometimes you have to take a more roundabout way to get where you want to go.”

Davis was never able to play a game alongside Flagg or fellow Mavericks star Kyrie Irving during his brief stint in Dallas. Flagg was not yet with the organization last season, while Irving has been rehabbing a torn ACL since the second half of last year. Davis also appeared in just 29 games and dealt with four separate injuries during that stretch.

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