The Dallas Mavericks have traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in an eight-player deal that also sends Australia’s Dante Exum to the US capital — and puts new light on the Mavs’ part in the Luka Doncic trade.
Watch NBA with ESPN on Kayo Sports | Stream an average 9 LIVE Regular Season games per week plus the best of the NBA Playoffs.| New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Davis was the primary piece Dallas gained from the Lakers when Doncic made a stunning switch to LA, but has been beset by all-too-familiar injury problems and is now gone from the organisation.
ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the trade on X, revealing that Dallas was sending Davis, 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-rounders.
The important context here is where the picks are likely to land, and it is not good news for Dallas. One of the first-rounders is from Oklahoma City this season, so it is very likely to be incredibly late while the 2030 first-rounder from Golden State is top-20 protected.
Essentially, neither of the first-round picks are expected to be of any real value. The second rounders are in 2026 (Phoenix), 2027 (Chicago) and 2029 (Houston).
There clearly wasn’t much of a market for Davis and the Mavericks took what they could to get off his contract and get under the first apron along with the luxury tax line, while also obviously acquiring future assets to build a stronger line-up around No.1 draft pick Cooper Flagg.
The Wizards are adding Davis alongside Trae Young, recently acquired from Atlanta, plus a developing core that includes Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson and Bilal Coulibaly.
READ MORE
Harden breaks silence, reveals truth behind blockbuster trade to Cavaliers
Why latest James Harden move was all ‘business’… but viral TV rant still rings true
Big hint in major Giannis play… and one team blows it up: 10 NBA Trade Predictions
AUSSIE TRADED… FOR A SECOND TIME
It has been a busy week for Jock Landale.
Just a day after the Utah Jazz landed Landale as part of the bigger trade for Jaren Jackson Jr., they have dealt the Australian to the Hawks for cash considerations according to Shams Charania.
Landale never made much sense in Utah given the Jazz already had plenty of options in the frontcourt, so the Boomers big man will have more opportunities for playing time in Atlanta.
Kristaps Porzingis had been reported as a potential trade candidate but for as long as he is on the roster, Landale offers the Hawks a much-needed back-up option who both plays physical and does all the dirty work while, crucially, stretching the floor like Porzingis does.
Landale will also be behind Onyeka Okongwu, but can compete with Mouhamed Gueye and Christian Koloko for minutes in the frontcourt.
Landale will team up with fellow Australian Dyson Daniels in Atlanta.
BULLS CONTINUES TO MAKE MOVES… AND THEY MAY NOT BE DONE
Finally, the Bulls have picked a clear direction.
After years of being stuck in the middle and settling for the play-in tournament, Chicago are clear sellers at the deadline after dealing guard Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets.
According to Charania, the Bulls also gave up Mike Conley, who they just acquired, for Collin Sexton, Ousmane Dieng and three second-round picks.
White moves to the red-hot Hornets as they look to make a playoff push. The dynamic guard was an unrestricted free agent and after paying Josh Giddey a four-year, $100 million contract it was unlikely the Bulls would be able to afford to keep him and Ayo Dosunmu.
Both Dosunmu and White had been trade candidates, and the Bulls may not be done yet with Joe Cowley of the Chicago Suns Times reporting Dosunmu, Collin Sexton and Anfernee Simons are all being shopped around.
It comes after the Bulls picked up Dario Saric’s contract on Wednesday in a three-team trade with the Kings and Cavaliers which saw them acquire two second-round picks.
They also acquired Piston Jaden Ivey to go with Conley as part of a three-team trade deal and later scored Simons in a trade with Boston that saw veteran big man Nikola Vucevic moved.
DEFENDING CHAMPS MAKE BIG SWING
The Oklahoma City Thunder have put the rest of the NBA on notice.
As if they weren’t already stacked enough, the defending champions have snapped up promising young 76ers guard Jared McCain after sending a 2026 first-round pick (via Houston), a 2027 second-round pick (the most favorable of OKC, Houston, Indiana and Miami’s picks) and two 2028 second-round picks (OKC’s own and Milwaukee’s) to Philadelphia.
McCain had an impressive rookie year before it was cut short by injury and has struggled to reach the same heights in his sophomore season stuck in a crowded Sixers backcourt.
Given the Rockets first-rounder is likely to be late, and it is otherwise a series of second-round picks, it is a worthwhile swing from a Thunder team that has plenty of draft capital to work with.
McCain could see immediate minutes as part of the OKC rotation with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander out until after the All-Star break with an abdominal strain.
MORE DEALS AS EXILED STAR TRADED
Elsewhere, Clippers veteran Chris Paul has been traded in a three-team deal, according to Charania.
In the deal, Paul was moved to the Toronto Raptors with Ochai Agbaji, a 2032 Raptors second-round pick and cash sent to the Brooklyn Nets.
However the 40-year-old is set to be waived by the Raptors as part of a salary dump.
“The Raptors will not require Chris Paul to report to the team and could still discuss trades involving him over the next day,” Charania reported.
“Toronto is now out of the tax. Brooklyn picks up an asset and cash to cover Agbaji’s salary. The Clippers clear a roster spot and save $7 million in tax.”
GIANNIS’ EMOTIONAL MILWAUKEE DECLARATION
With speculation rife that Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to be traded from the Bucks, the megastar has broken his silence with an emotional declaration that he loves Milwaukee and wants to stay — but only if he’s winning.
“I want to be here, but I want to be here to win, not fighting for my life to make the playoffs,” Antetokounmpo told The Athletic.
“I’m not used to inconsistent basketball. I’ve played so many years of consistent basketball, I am not used to it anymore. During the game, I don’t know if you can see my face, (but) I get frustrated during the game, while the game is going on.
“I know there’s gonna be times you’re gonna lose; you’re not gonna win all the games. … But at the end of the day, it’s like how we carry ourselves. I see other teams, how they are and how they play, how connected the chemistry they have and how people are doing the right thing and they’re riding for one another. I just want that. I want that for my team.”
A huge numbers of teams are jostling for a shot at trading for Giannis, yet the Bucks champion may yet stay put.
“Brother, if you ask me deep down what I want today, I want to be a Milwaukee Buck for the rest of my career,” Antetokounmpo said. “I want to win here, another championship. And if you can tell me that’s possible, let’s just hang up the phone.
“You know basketball. You see basketball. You understand basketball. You’ve been around greatness. You’ve been around a championship team. You’ve been around a good culture. You’ve been around when the popcorn was popping. You were around; you saw it. If you tell me that that’s possible, we can hang up the phone and keep on moving with our day.”
LIVE BLOG
Follow the latest updates ahead of the trade deadline! Can’t see it? Click here!
Discussion about this post