The Dallas Mavericks cut ties with Anthony Davis and shipped him to the Washington Wizards in exchange for a haul of picks and players that’s either disappointing or acceptable, depending on who you ask.
The biggest of those returning players is 6-10 forward Marvin Bagley III, who’s already made an impact in his time with the Mavs.
Here are five things to know about Bagley, including a throwback to when he was taken the pick before Luka Doncic in the 2018 NBA draft.
1. The basics
Mavericks
Name: Marvin Bagley III
Born: March 14, 1999
Hometown: Tempe, Ariz.
College: Duke
Position: PF/C
Height/Weight: 6-10, 235
2. Comes to Dallas in AD trade
By all accounts the Mavericks got what they could from the seemingly depleted value of Anthony Davis, who played just 29 games in Dallas before being traded to Washington.
In return the Mavericks picked up Bagley along with veteran small forward Khris Middleton, 21-year-old AJ Johnson and shooting guard Malaki Branham, who they promptly flipped to Charlotte for point guard Tyus Jones.
The Mavericks also got a handful of picks in the deal, but nothing to write home about — none of them project to be better than a late first-rounder.
See the full trade below.
Mavericks getWizards getPF Marvin Bagley IIIPF Anthony DavisSF Khris MiddletonPG D’Angelo RussellSG AJ JohnsonSG Dante ExumSG Malaki Branham (PG Tyus Jones)SG Jaden Hardy2026 first-rounder (Least favorable between the LA Clippers, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder)2030 first-rounder (Originally belonged to the Golden State Warriors)2026 second-rounder (Originally belonged to the Phoenix Suns)2027 second-rounder (Originally belonged to the Chicago Bulls)2029 second-rounder (Originally belonged to the Houston Rockets)3. Picked right before Luka Doncic
The emergence of Luka Doncic as an NBA superstar turned the 2018 NBA draft into one of the biggest “whoopsies” drafts since Darko Milicic in 2003.
The Mavericks, via a trade with the Hawks, got Doncic at third overall that night, after he was passed on by the Phoenix Suns and the Sacramento Kings with the first two picks. The Suns took DeAndre Ayton with the top overall pick. The Kings took Bagley at No. 2.
While Doncic grew into an MVP candidate, Bagley struggled with both health and performance for the Kings. In the middle of his fourth season with Sacramento, he was traded to the Pistons in part of a four-team deal.
Taking Bagley over Doncic was the defining mistake of former Kings center Vlade Divac’s run as Sacramento’s general manager. He stepped down as GM in 2020 after the Kings missed the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season.
4. Can he cut a path?
Since leaving Sacramento, Bagley has become something of a journeyman, and an easy target for the title of “bust” after being taken second overall.
Despite all that, Bagley is still only 26, with ample opportunity to carve out a role for himself on an NBA roster, be it in Dallas or elsewhere.
In 38 games with the Wizards this season, he averaged just under 20 minutes per game, posting 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds off the bench for Washington.
The Mavericks will certainly need big man help in the remaining schedule of their 2025-26 season, so they’ll likely get a good look at the pending free agent. At a cap hit of just $2.29 million this season, he could be an affordable bench option for a team with plenty of money to spend elsewhere in the upcoming offseason.
Can he be productive? Well, Dallas saw flashes of that in Bagley’s Mavericks debut.
5. History in Mavericks debut
Suiting up for the Mavs for the first time on Feb. 7 in a game against San Antonio, Bagley set a Mavericks franchise for offensive rebounds in a Mavs debut with 8. He also added four blocks and 16 points in 24 minutes, one of the silver linings of the game despite the Spurs’ comfortable win.
If Bagley can show a spark with Dallas and, maybe even more importantly, show he can pair well with Cooper Flagg, he’ll give the Mavericks something to think about this offseason.
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