Wizards acquire Anthony Davis from Mavericks ahead of trade deadline

In an eye-opener, the Dallas Mavericks have traded 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in a pre-trade blockbuster.

The news was verified on Wednesday, February 5, after sources reported that the huge eight-player transaction reinvigorates the course of the two franchises.

Dallas assigns the guards, Jaden Hardy, D'Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum to Washington. 

The Mavericks receive veterans Khris Middleton and Marvin Bagley III, young players AJ Johnson and Malaki Branham, and three second-round selections in the future, as well as three second-round picks.

The transaction is a definite turn in the right direction, as the Mavericks were only a year ago accused of selling Luka Doncic, and thus Davis became the new face of the team. 

Nonetheless, the advent of a new star player, Cooper Flagg, has made the Mavericks abandon the long-term contracts and construct their new team around the young sensation.

This is the second major injury-laden superstar purchase the Wizards have made this season, after trading off a guard, Trae Young, last month. 

Davis is expected by the team to be paired with their already established young group of players, such as Alex Sarr and newly recruited Tre Johnson, so that the rebuilding process can be expedited.

Davis, 32 is out since the beginning of January with a ligament injury in his hand and will likely be back this season. 

He is scoring an average of 20.4 and 11.1 points and rebounds, respectively. The NBA trade deadline would end on Thursday at 3 pm. ET.