This time last year, Anthony Davis packed his bag and moved to Dallas. The Los Angeles Lakers had traded him to the Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic. While Luka became the heart of LA, Davis failed to become the same for Texas. And therefore, when injuries began to haunt his tenure with the Mavericks, trade rumors escalated.

Now, after months of speculation and Patrick Dumont’s clear disinterest in moving the 10-time All-Star big man, the front office made its decision. Dallas doesn’t see its future with the 32-year-old.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Dallas Mavericks have agreed to a major trade that sends Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum to the Washington Wizards. In return, Dallas will receive Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, along with two first-round draft picks and three second-round selections.

Moreover, the Mavericks gained a 2026 first-round selection from the Oklahoma City Thunder and a protected 2030 Golden State Warriors first-round pick. The package also includes second-round picks from the Phoenix Suns in 2026. A 2027 pick from the Chicago Bulls and a 2029 pick from the Houston Rockets.

Meanwhile, Washington lands future Hall of Famer Davis, recognized as one of the 75 greatest players ever, to strengthen a group featuring Trae Young, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, and Bilal Coulibaly. Consequently, Dallas clears cap space while shaping its future around Cooper Flagg. Furthermore, the Wizards transform previous Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma deals into Young, Davis, and five valuable pick swap opportunities.

Well, here’s the thing: fans aren’t happy with Dallas’ move. Simply put, they traded Luka Doncic last season only to land Khris Middleton and Marvin Bagley. Does the NBA community think that the front office rushed with their decision once again? Sure, Anthony Davis has played only 29 games for the Mavs; his availability has been the biggest concern. But this move to the Wizards doesn’t fit well with the NBA fans.

Anthony Davis exchanged for $33 million Khris Middleton

Financially speaking, the Dallas Mavericks got a steal deal. They hold nearly $217M in total salary commitments, ranking fourth highest in the league. The team stands around $62M above the salary cap, which limits financial flexibility. Dallas is also about $7M above the first apron, but remains roughly $5M below the second apron. Now, after the trade? Let’s break it down:

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Dallas clears a major financial burden as player departures remove about $69.12M from the payroll, while new arrivals add nearly $44.12M. As a result, the franchise gains close to $25M in savings. But fans aren’t understanding the boon. Everyone across social media is saying just one thing: “Quite the ultimate haul for Luka lol.”

Meanwhile, X users are using GIFs and memes to express their feelings. Someone used a laughing Kendrick Perkins GIF with the caption: “so Mavs basically traded away Luka for Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, and some 2nd-round picks.” On the other hand, many believe that D’Lo was meant to be a Wizard, “D’Angelo Russell finally goes to the team he was always fated to. The most Wizards player ever to exist to never play on the Wizards. You can’t escape destiny.”

In fact, fans aren’t sparing Shams Charania, either! “Love how Shams’ follow-ups are like ‘Cleveland now acquires an NBA 75 member’ and ‘Washington gets a future HOFer’ as if these dudes are anywhere close to their primes,” someone added. “So ultimately what did Luka get us?” another curious fan asked.

So ultimately, Anthony Davis DID get traded. The front office seemingly lied when they said that they weren’t looking to move the big man!