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Uncover the Shocking Secret Behind [Article Topic] That Everyone’s Been Missing!
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So, the Washington Wizards just turned some heads by snagging Anthony Davis right after bringing Trae Young on board — talk about a power move at the 2026 NBA trade deadline! But here’s the rub: are they crafting a crafty blueprint for long-term glory, or throwing together a wildcard combo that defies easy decoding? With Davis joining forces alongside Young, it’s a high-stakes gamble mingling veteran savvy and young dynamism, although the chemistry puzzle raises more eyebrows than it settles. How does this double-big lineup vibe in a league that’s constantly reinventing itself? And what about the development of their promising young center, Alex Sarr? This isn’t just another trade; it’s Washington staking its claim in a crowded playoff race while betting on big names to mask underlying questions. Intriguing? Absolutely. Confounding? You bet. Only time will tell if this wizardry conjures wins or just sparks debates. LEARN MORE.
After acquiring Trae Young, the Washington Wizards paired him with Anthony Davis in a bold NBA trade deadline move. What is their long-term plan?
Nearly a year after he was involved in the most-shocking trade in NBA history, Anthony Davis went on the move again, as the Dallas Mavericks traded him to the Washington Wizards in what may be the biggest deal of the 2026 NBA trade deadline.
And while many people will likely use this time to mock the Mavericks for parting ways with the focal point of the Luka Doncic return package just 12 months after that dreaded transaction, the more interesting angle to the trade lies with the team acquiring him.
Last month, the Wizards traded CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert for All-Star guard Trae Young. In isolation, that trade made perfect sense because Young could serve as the perfect table-setter for their cast of wings and play-finishers.
But when you combine that move with the Davis deal, the Wizards’ long-term plan becomes a little less clear.
Value vs. Fit
From an asset management perspective, what the front office in Washington is doing makes sense. It’s identifying teams that are selling low on former All-Stars and using an abundance of cap space to take advantage of these situations.
In many ways, this is similar to what Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics did a few years ago when they identified the likes of Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis as players who were being undervalued by their respective team.
However, when the Celtics did this, they made sure to pinpoint players who fit perfectly with their core pieces (Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford). The same can’t be said for the Wizards in this instance.
Young does make sense as a facilitator next to players like Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George, but what about the fit between Davis and Alex Sarr? After a bumpy rookie campaign, Sarr has solidified himself as the center of the future in D.C. Through 40 games, he’s averaging 17.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 blocks per game.
Davis may believe he’s best used as a power forward, but all signs point to him being a center in the modern NBA. It’s not uncommon for teams to play double-big lineups in 2026, but neither Sarr nor Davis has proven to be consistent jump shooters, and with Young failing to eclipse the 35% mark on 3-pointers in three of his last four seasons, he won’t be doing much to remedy the situation.
Now, some of this will work itself out naturally as Davis is sure to miss a handful of games with a nagging injury or three. Also, Sarr could make the fit between them a lot cleaner by leveling up his jump shot (33.9% on 3s this season on low volume). But unlike the Young deal, this buy-low star acquisition directly conflicts with the promising young core that Washington has worked so hard to put together.
Trae Young’s Last Chance
While this deal could serve to hurt Sarr’s long-term development, it does instantly make Washington a more intriguing team. If Davis and Young are healthy and the young players develop next season, the Wizards automatically become a playoff contender with the chance to cause a lot of headaches to a potential first-round opponent.
While the focus has been on how Davis affects the youthful core, this trade is also important for Young. It could serve as his final chance to prove he can be a lead creator on a winning team.
The early 2020s showed that it takes a very strong defensive supporting cast to hide Young’s weaknesses as a defender (11th-worst D-DRIP in the entire league). The Atlanta Hawks tried to counter his shortcomings by surrounding him with as many athletic wings and forwards as possible. What if the answer isn’t to put a bunch of great perimeter defenders around him but rather to give him as much rim protection as possible?
With Sarr and Davis, you get twin rim protection the likes of which we saw in San Antonio with Tim Duncan and David Robinson (which is funny because Robinson and Davis are actually very similar historically). Back then, those two forces were enough to build an elite defense with the miniature Tony Parker as the Spurs’ starting point guard.
Does this still work in 2026?
The data seems to say yes, as all of the top six teams in our D-TRACR metric are rosters that have the ability to play double-big lineups. The Cleveland Cavaliers (sixth in D-TRACR) have had a strong defensive unit for years despite often fielding lineups that feature two smaller guards (Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell).
Plus, Young is one of the great interior passers of his generation. So if anyone can deal with the tighter windows that two-center lineups create around the paint, it’s him.
Be cautious of anyone who tries to characterize this move as a definitive home run or strikeout by the Wizards. It’s one of those things that leaves more questions than answers. Washington got Davis at a bargain price. But how does this addition hinder Sarr’s long-term development? And what about the Young of it all? Does he finally have the ideal defensive infrastructure to hide his limitations on that end of the floor?
All of this will reveal itself to us in due time, but for now, credit the Wizards for being daring enough to take the swing.
For more coverage, follow on social media at Instagram, Bluesky, Facebook and X.
The post NBA Trade Deadline: What is the Wizards’ Plan After Acquiring Anthony Davis? appeared first on Opta Analyst.
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