Anthony Davis is now a member of the Washington Wizards after the Dallas Mavericks traded him prior to the deadline.
In a three-team deal, the Wizards got Davis, along with Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum. The Mavs, for their part, received Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Marvin Bagley III, two future first-round picks and three second-round picks.
The Charlotte Hornets were also involved in the trade, sending Tyus Jones to the Mavericks for Washington's Malaki Branham.
After the deal was finalized, though, reports emerged that the Wizards plan to shut down Davis for the rest of the season. AD last played on Jan. 8 after suffering ligament damage to his left hand.
"BREAKING: Washington Wizards star Anthony Davis (hand, groin) expected to sit out the remainder of the season to fully get healthy for the 2026-27 season, league sources tell me," Chris Haynes of NBA on Prime reported on Friday. The Athletic backed the report, citing an anonymous league source.
Wizards general manager Will Dawkins, however, effectively denied those rumors. The Washington exec expects Davis to join the team at some point this 2025-26 season, although his return depends on his rehab and what the doctors will say about his condition.
"The plan for AD right now is to go back to Dallas and finish his rehab," Dawkins stated, according to ESPN. "During All-Star break, he takes another visit for a doctor. And that's a big appointment for us to kind of see where his progress is at."
Davis' initial recovery timeline for his hand injury is about six weeks. It has only been a month since he was sidelined.
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Is Anthony Davis Unhappy With the Wizards?
After Davis was traded to the Wizards, rumors emerged that he was unhappy about being sent to Washington.
Davis has since denied the claims, telling David Aldridge of The Athletic: "They said I said a lot of stuff in the other city, too, that I didn’t say."
However, the 10-time All-Star did express his desire to compete for a championship, saying he wants to know what the Wizards plan to do in order to get to that level.
It's worth noting that the Wizards have proven their desire to compete at the highest level. Aside from trading for Davis, they also acquired All-Star guard Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks.
"I talked briefly (Friday) with Will [Dawkins]. Obviously, at this time, every year, you want to compete for championships and stuff like that," Davis stated.
"That's obviously the main focus, getting to that place. Conversations are going to be held to see about getting to that space. I’ve been everywhere the last two years. I want to see the plan, hear the plan, see the vision. Bringing Trae (Young) here and other things in store, what they’re thinking of doing, I want to have those conversations with them and see what happens. The city is obviously phenomenal."