Report: Wizards land AD in blockbuster deal with Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks are trading Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in an eight-player deal, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum are reportedly also headed to the Wizards in exchange for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks, and three second-rounders.

The Mavericks also receive the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2026 first-round pick and the Golden State Warriors’ 2030 protected first-rounder along with second-round draft selections from the Phoenix Suns in 2026, Chicago Bulls in 2027, and Houston Rockets in 2029, sources told Charania.

Dallas sheds approximately $70 million from its payroll for next season in the deal, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The Mavs also drop below the luxury tax and both aprons, adds Bobby Marks of ESPN.

Middleton, Branham, and Bagley are all on expiring deals. Johnson, a first-round pick in 2024, played a minimal role for the Wizards this season, averaging 2.8 points in 8.6 minutes over 25 games.

Davis is averaging 20.4 points, 11.1 boards, 2.8 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.1 steals across 20 appearances this season. He’s currently sidelined for at least six weeks with damaged hand ligaments, although he avoided surgery.

The 10-time All-Star is under contract through at least 2026-27 and holds a $62.8-million player option for the following campaign. He’s eligible to sign a four-year, $275-million max contract extension Aug. 6.

Washington now has a star duo to build around after acquiring Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks in January. The Wizards also boast a promising young core that features Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, and Bilal Coulibaly.

Washington sits second last in the East with a 13-36 record. The Wizards could add another blue-chip prospect through the draft as their 2026 first-rounder is top-eight protected.

Hardy is under contract for at least two more seasons. The 23-year-old has shown some promise as a microwave scorer off the bench, but he failed to lock down a consistent rotation spot through parts of four seasons with the Mavs.

Russell joined Dallas last summer on a two-year, $11.7-million contract that includes a $6-million player option for 2026-27. He’s averaging career lows in points (10.2 per game) and 3-point percentage (29.5%).

Exum underwent season-ending knee surgery in November. The former No. 5 overall pick is set to hit the market in the offseason.

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