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The Dallas Mavericks are trading Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards for a package that includes Khris Middleton and two future first-round picks, according to ESPN. The Mavericks are also sending Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to the Wizards in exchange for AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham and Marvin Bagley III, as well as three second-round picks.

This ends what has been a tumultuous stint for Davis in Dallas. He landed with the Mavericks almost a year ago to the day on Feb. 1, 2025, after the Lakers deal that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles. A widely criticized deal, Davis never really got his footing in Dallas primarily because of consistent injuries.

Davis is sidelined with ligament damage in his left hand that is expected to keep him out for several more weeks. Davis joins Trae Young in D.C.

It's difficult to look at this deal in any other way than a total letdown for the Mavericks. And when you hold it up next to the Doncic trade, it looks even worse. Essentially, the Mavericks traded Doncic for Max Christie, Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley II, the Lakers' 2029 first-round pick, the Thunder's 2026 first-round pick, the Warriors' 2030 first-round pick, the Suns' 2026 second-round pick, the Bulls' 2027 second-round pick and the Rockets' 2029 second-round pick.

What a depressing haul. Even the two first-rounders the Mavericks got from the Wizards hold little to no value. One of them is a 2026 pick from the Thunder which will, in all likelihood, be the No. 30 selection. The other is a 2030 pick from the Warriors, and it's top-20 protected. If it doesn't convey, then it immediately becomes a second-round pick in the same draft.

There is a silver lining in all of this, though. While the return is pretty awful, it allows the Mavericks to move on from the emotional baggage carried since Feb. 1, 2025 when they dealt Doncic to the Lakers. Davis -- unfortunately -- represented everything bad about that deal, and now that he's gone, Dallas doesn't have to kid itself about this whole "two timeline approach" that former general manager Nico Harrison was trying to sell the fans.

The draft capital the Mavericks got in return for Davis isn't as pristine as it could be, but it's better than pretending like Davis was going to work at all. Now, they can fully focus on building around their prized rookie in Cooper Flagg. They'll have a high lottery pick in June in what's supposed to be one of the deepest drafts in recent memory. They also have the Thunder's first-round pick, which might be low, but it's a draft selection they wouldn't have otherwise.

It's a sad state of affairs for the Mavericks, but it's the necessary step this franchise needed to fully close the book on this chapter and look ahead to what should be an exciting era with Flagg in Dallas.

For the Wizards, it's a solid move to see if Davis can return to his All-Star form. Pairing him with Young should create an ideal pick-and-roll tandem, something the NBA champion lacked in Dallas with Kyrie Irving tearing his ACL. Sliding him next to rising big man Alex Sarr in the frontcourt will give the 2024 No. 2 pick an ideal mentor to further his development.

If Davis can stay healthy, which is never a guarantee, that trio of guys, as well as the stable of other young players on the team, is a team that could compete next season in a significantly weaker Eastern Conference.