Wizards: Alex Sarr & Anthony Davis Trade – NBA News

Victorious in 15 and 18 matches over the last two seasons, and still penultimate in the Eastern Conference this season, the franchise from the American capital is moving up a gear in its reconstruction. In form, Anthony Davis is a superstar of the league, an interior as dominant in attack as in defense (24 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks on average), and an ideal element of experience (32 years old, titled with the Lakers in 2020) for the young Wizards group. He would form an All-Star tandem with Trae Young, who arrived from Atlanta and who has not yet shown his new colors, also due to injury concerns.

One year after the trade with Luka Doncic

This is where the question regarding this transfer lies. Davis was hoped a year ago as the one who could take the Mavericks to the title, even if it meant sacrificing Luka Doncic to achieve it. Fast forward, and this “blackbuster trade” is more than ever one of the biggest failures in history. 29 small matches played later, and “AD” was already no longer essential in Dallas, where the first choice of the last Draft, Cooper Flagg, now carries the hopes of the franchise.

The veteran did not cost Washington any important players, who mainly got rid of the expiring contract of Khris Middleton and complementary players. But the five draft rounds may seem expensive, even though the first two rounds – one in 2026 which originally belonged to Oklahoma City and will most likely be the 30th pick and one in 2030 for the Wizards if it is between 21st and 30th place – have only a priori reduced value. Adding Anthony Davis and Trae Young to the core around Frenchmen Bilal Coulibaly and Alexandre Sarr as well as the other young talents in the squad (Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington, Tre Johnson) should improve a team among the weakest in the league.

Alex Sarr better surrounded, but also less responsible

But what about the actual availability of the Wizards’ two new stars, incidentally two of the highest salaries in the league? Young is eligible for a contract extension, while Davis is still under contract through 2027, plus one year option. The two men are expected to cost more than $100 million between them within a few months.

The association between Anthony Davis and Alexandre Sarr – around whom the Wizards seemed to want to focus their development, calling on Trae Young to help the Frenchman grow rather than being the star of the team – is promising, but not without risk for the development of the Frenchman, who will have to seriously share the balls. To get out of the depths, this exchange is a gamble. Those around Anthony Davis haven’t always been very successful lately.