ESPN's Shams Charania reported Wednesday that the Dallas Mavericks have agreed to a massive trade involving 13 players, including 10-time All-Star forward Anthony Davis, with the Washington Wizards.

According to Charania, in order to build a core roster centered around rookie Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks decided to trade four players to the Wizards to realize this ambitious plan.

The four players are: Davis, Dante Exum, D'Angelo Russell, and Jaden Hardy.

The Wizards will send Khris Middleton, Malaki Branham, AJ Johnson, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round draft picks, and three second-round draft picks.

The draft picks include: a 2026 first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder, a protected 2030 first-round pick from the Golden State Warriors, and second-round picks from the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls, and Houston Rockets in 2026, 2027, and 2029 respectively.

Furthermore, this trade allows the Mavericks to offload $6 million of Hardy's salary and Russell's $6 million player option for next season. The core of this trade is the expiring contracts of Middleton, Bramham, and Bagley.

Although beat reporter confirmed last month that the Mavericks were in no hurry to trade Davis, the team has actually been actively exploring the trade market since former general manager Nico Harrison was fired after facing heavy criticism for trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers last year.

As the key asset in the Dončić trade, Davis has only played 29 games for the Mavericks this season due to injuries. Currently, he has been sidelined since early January due to a left-hand ligament injury.

His salary next season is $58.5 million, with a player option worth $62.8 million for the 2027/28 season, and he can re-sign in August.

The addition of Davis makes him the second injury-plagued but still highly capable star player acquired by the Washington Wizards this season.

The rebuilding Wizards also acquired Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young last month, but the veteran guard has missed games since December due to knee and quadriceps injuries.

Furthermore, according to Shams' colleague Bobby Marks, this trade brings the Mavericks' total salary below the luxury tax threshold this season.

Since they will likely also have a lottery pick, the Dallas Mavericks' total guaranteed salary next season will drop to approximately $150 million, giving them more flexibility in the offseason.

In summary, the Wizards' acquisition of Davis is aimed at returning to championship contention next season after a long rebuild.

The team will prioritize protecting its high draft picks and homegrown young players, including Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bilal Koulibaly, and Tre Johnson, all considered core players they are unlikely to trade.

The 32-year-old Anthony Davis has played 20 games this season, averaging 20.1 points and 11.1 rebounds.

The 19-year-old Flagger has lived up to expectations despite his teammates being plagued by injuries, averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists this season.

Currently, the Mavericks (19-31), on a five-game losing streak, are ranked 12th in the NBA Western Conference, 3.5 games behind the 10th-ranked Portland Trail Blazers (23-28).

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