The Washington Wizards have turned a single blockbuster into a string of wins, and the latest ripple effect only makes Dallas look worse.
What began with the Wizards landing Anthony Davis ahead of February’s trade deadline has now morphed into a much bigger story about how much value Washington has squeezed out of the deal. The original trade sent Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks, and three second-round picks to Washington. Davis was the headliner, but the Wizards also came away with D’Angelo Russell, Dante Exum, and Jaden Hardy, and they’ve already used those pieces in additional moves to keep reshaping the roster.
That matters because the Mavericks’ side of the ledger has been whittled down fast. Dallas moved on from Malaki Branham right away, got just 29 games from Middleton before he re-signed with the Wizards, and only 22 games from Bagley III before he signed with the Nuggets. The team then used AJ Johnson’s contract and one of the first-round picks to bring in Santi Aldama from the Memphis Grizzlies this offseason, and later selected Koa Peat with the other first-rounder - only to trade him too.
Washington, meanwhile, has kept extracting value. The Wizards used Jaden Hardy’s contract to strengthen their frontcourt by landing Deandre Ayton from the Los Angeles Lakers, flipped D’Angelo Russell to get Middleton back to the DMV, and moved on from Exum.
The final picture keeps changing because these transactions happened at different points, and Dallas was also rewarded with Cooper Flagg for moving on from Doncic, but the broader takeaway is hard to miss. On the updated version of this trade, Washington’s haul looks enormous, and the Mavericks’ return looks thinner by the day.
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The Wizards kept reshaping their roster this summer, and the latest move adds another veteran layer to a group that has been trying to balance upside with immediate credibility. Khris Middleton is back in Washington on a three-year deal worth $17.6 million, a modest price for a player the team believes can steady the rotation and bring the kind of professionalism young teams usually have to go out and find.
To get the deal done, Washington sent D'Angelo Russell, a future second-round pick and a second-round pick swap to Memphis in the six-team trade. Middleton is expected to give the Wizards meaningful minutes next season, and his presence gives the front office another experienced option as it continues building around a roster that suddenly looks a lot more serious about competing. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards Just Put Their Frontcourt Future Under A Harsh Spotlight
The Wizards frontcourt picture changed quickly when they landed Deandre Ayton, sending Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks to get him. On paper, that kind of move is supposed to settle a teams center rotation, but Washingtons bigger long-term question still runs through Alex Sarr, the 2024 No. 2 pick who has already started to look like more than just a developmental piece.
Sarrs rise has come from real two-way impact, not just projection. His production jumped to 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.0 blocks per game, and his defensive numbers have made him hard to ignore, from ranking near the top of the league in blocks to forcing opponents into worse looks at the rim. Add in the spacing he brings from beyond the arc, and the Wizards suddenly have a frontcourt decision that is about more than adding talent - it is about deciding which big man best fits where this rebuild is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Just Made A Quinten Post Decision Fans Will Debate
Memphis latest roster move adds another layer to a summer already packed with churn, with the Grizzlies bringing in DAngelo Russell as part of a six-team trade and then continuing to reshape the edges of the roster. The deal also left them juggling a crowded group of guards and wings, the kind of overload that tends to force tough decisions before the season even starts.
Quinten Posts arrival only adds to the logjam. The 7-foot forward is in on a three-year, $30 million deal after Golden State declined to match the offer, and Memphis now sits at 21 players under contract with roster cuts looming before opening night. For a team that has spent the offseason collecting pieces, the real question is how many of them survive the final trimming. [Read more 🡒]