The Dallas Mavericks are suddenly under heavy fire, and this time it has nothing to do with injuries or on-court results. After trading away Anthony Davis in a surprise deadline deal, the franchise is facing an immediate wave of criticism from fans and analysts who believe the return package falls far short of star value.

What was meant to be a move toward flexibility and roster balance has instead ignited questions about the team’s direction. Many around the league are already labeling the decision a puzzling step backward for a Mavericks front office that only recently bet its future on Davis.

Now, after months of speculation and Patrick Dumont’s apparent 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 significant 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.

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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

Dallas clears a significant financial burden as player departures remove about $69.12M from payroll, while new arrivals add nearly $44.12M. As a result, the franchise saves close to $25 M. However, fans aren’t seeing the steal deal here.

Khris Middleton’s $33 million expiring contract isn’t doing it. Thus, everyone across social media is saying just one thing: “Quite the ultimate haul for Luka lol.”

“So ultimately what did Luka get us?” another curious fan asked. Right now, it looks like some monetary relief. But in reality, it’s the Washington Wizards who struck gold with Anthony Davis. Setting aside the injury woes for a second, AD is the defensive cornerstone for any team. He could pair up with Trae Young and Alex Sarr to build the perfect trio of destruction.

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 26 appearances for the Mavs, Russell has averaged 10.2 ppg. Not enticing at all!

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