The Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA world by trading Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards ahead of the NBA trade deadline. In exchange, Dallas received Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, 2 first-round picks, and 3 second-rounders.
Following the team’s poor start to the season, the organization fired former general manager Nico Harrison from his role. Following the decision, assistant general manager Matt Ricardi took over as co-general manager of the Mavericks alongside Michael Finley.
Mavericks Co-GM Breaks Silence on Shocking Anthony Davis Trade
After the trade that sent Davis to Washington, both Ricardi and Finley earned criticism for wasting the results of the Luka Dončić trade. Ricardi explained the trade, speaking to the media on Wednesday night.
Matt Riccardi on why now was the right time to trade Anthony Davis:
“We evaluated everything…The deal we got hits certain threshold of what we wanted to do and how we wanted to move forward. It provided that flexibility & that optionally & it gave us the opportunity to build… pic.twitter.com/2GXT2J6iLN
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) February 6, 2026
“We evaluated everything…The deal we got hits a certain threshold of what we wanted to do and how we wanted to move forward. It provided that flexibility & that optionally & it gave us the opportunity to build the team in a certain type of way.” Ricardi stated.
In exchange for Davis, as well as receiving player compensation, the Mavericks also received two first-round picks and three second-round picks to help build the team. However, there are certain conditions to this that leave room for questioning.
One of the first-round picks that was sent to Dallas was the Golden State Warriors’ top-20 protected 2030 first-round pick. Additionally, the Mavericks are getting what will likely be the No. 30 pick in this year’s NBA draft with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2026 pick.
Following the trade, one of the biggest hopes in Dallas was that Davis and Kyrie Irving would take to the court together. However, with Davis’s injuries and Irving’s ACL tear, they only shared the court once.
According to recent reports, Irving is set to return to practice in the coming weeks. The Mavericks’ star tore his ACL last March. However, he will return to practice just under a year after tearing his ACL, but he won’t be sharing the court with Davis.
“It was unfortunate, Anthony Davis’s health. We never got to see everyone together. Not just A.D. but Kyrie and with Coop (Flagg). Unfortunately, we didn’t have that opportunity. But Anthony Davis is an incredible basketball player and a great human being. We wish him the best in D.C..”, stated head coach Jason Kidd.
Included in the deal was Middleton, who has averaged 10.3 points,3.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists this year, making him the best player to come from the trade. However, the focus of the trade that sent Davis to Washington was the pick compensation.
Alongside Davis, the Mavericks also traded D’Angelo Russell, Dante Exum, and Jaden Hardy. Following the deadline, Finley and Ricardi have managed to take the team under the second apron. With their draft compensation, the Mavericks will now be able to build around rookie star Cooper Flagg without worrying about the salary cap.
