The Dallas Mavericks made one of the big moves of the NBA trade deadline, sending Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards. The trade itself wasn’t a surprise, as everyone knew the Mavericks would like to shed some salary, but his being sent to the Wizards was.
If there had been any trade chatter surrounding Davis throughout the season, it mostly involved the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors, with a sprinkle of the Golden State Warriors, which was never really believed. Even when the Hawks traded away Trae Young, the belief was they could pivot toward trading for a different star, like Davis. Instead, Davis is now teammates with Young in Washington.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon gave some insight on how the Mavericks landed on a trade with the Wizards, and why.
“Rich Paul, Klutch Sports CEO and Davis’ agent, was determined to position his client for another payday when he becomes extension-eligible this summer,” MacMahon wrote. “He attempted to help the Mavs negotiate deals with the Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors, but the discussions with the Hawks went dormant after Davis suffered ligament damage in his left hand during a Jan. 8 loss to the Utah Jazz, an injury the Mavs announced would be healed by late February. The Mavs would have had to take back significant salary beyond this season in any deal with the Raptors, making Toronto a tough fit as a trade partner.
“The Mavs negotiated with the Wizards without the knowledge of Davis and Paul, who weren’t aware Washington was a serious suitor until the trade was done.”