The Dallas Mavericks are hitting the reset button-again.
Just a year after swinging a blockbuster deal to bring in Anthony Davis from the Lakers, the Mavs have decided to pivot in a big way. Davis, along with D’Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy, and Dante Exum, is headed to the Washington Wizards. Coming back to Dallas: Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two future first-round picks, and three second-rounders.
This isn’t your typical midseason retool. It’s a full-scale reshaping of the franchise-one that signals a clear shift in priorities.
The Mavericks are no longer trying to win now with an aging superstar. They’re building around their prized young talent: Cooper Flagg.
Just a few months ago, team owner Patrick Dumont was holding firm, resisting the idea of moving Davis. The hope, at least publicly, was that Davis could help stabilize the team and keep Dallas in the playoff hunt.
But things have changed. And quickly.
Mavs front office leaders Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi addressed the media to lay out their rationale.
“We decided, as an organization, front office and management, that we needed to do something to bring back the winning culture here in Dallas,” Finley said.
Riccardi echoed that sentiment with a bit more introspection: “We had to take an honest look at ourselves in the mirror and realize where we were and where we wanted to be. Our goal here remains the same.
We want to win championships. We want to build a championship roster.”
That’s the mission. But the road back to title contention won’t be short.
The Luka Dončić trade-still fresh in the minds of Mavericks fans-set the franchise back in a major way. Losing a generational talent like Luka without a clear succession plan created a vacuum that even Anthony Davis couldn’t fill. And while Davis still has plenty left in the tank, his timeline didn’t align with the one Dallas is now building around.
Enter Cooper Flagg.
The rookie phenom has shown flashes of brilliance, and the Mavs clearly see him as the cornerstone of their next era. But building a contender around a young star takes time-years, not months. This trade is less about immediate results and more about giving Flagg the space and supporting cast to grow into the kind of player who can lead a deep playoff run down the line.
As for Washington? Quietly, they’ve made some serious moves of their own.
The Wizards now boast a revamped core, headlined by Trae Young at point guard and Anthony Davis anchoring the frontcourt. They’ve moved on from players who didn’t fit their long-term vision and are expected to lock in both Young and Davis to long-term deals this offseason.
For a franchise that’s spent more time in the lottery than the postseason lately, this is a massive shift. Two legitimate All-Stars on the same roster? That’s a foundation you can build around.
Sure, it might feel a little strange to see Anthony Davis in a Wizards jersey. But strange doesn’t mean bad. The Wizards suddenly have a team that can make some noise in the Eastern Conference-something that hasn’t been said in a long time.
Bottom line: Dallas is betting big on the future. Washington is going all-in on the now.
Two teams, two very different approaches-but both with a clear direction. And in today’s NBA, that’s half the battle.