You can't spell Washington Wizarfs without the letters W, T and F

Plus: the nation's Jonathan Kuminga crisis comes to a deflating end.

Good morning. It's the trade deadline. Let's basketball.

The Washington Wizards, who a few weeks ago broke the calm surface of Lake Trade Deadline by moving expiring contract C.J. McCollum and veteran shooter Corey Kispert for distressed asset All-Star Trae Young, did something even more weird and intriguing in its weirdness on Wednesday: the Wizards traded expiring contract Khris Middleton, two low firsts and salary filler to the Dallas Mavericks for distressed asset All-Star Anthony Davis and more salary filler.

Yes, the Wizards have added Trae Young and Anthony Davis to their young core. That's one way to signal a rebuild is over!

Set aside (for just a moment, we'll get to it) what Dallas has done over the past year. It is franchise malpractice. Can we say that about Washington, too? Of all the rebuilding teams, the Wizards have perhaps the most raw materials. But most of it is raw at this point. Alex Sarr is the only prospect in the bunch that looks like a potential All-Star spinning forward, though that status is a couple years away in all likelihood. (I haven't seen him on many snub list this season despite the dearth of quality East options.) Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Tre Johnson are all interesting, and Coulibaly had a nice trajectory going before an injury-riddling 2025-26. The Wizards will still get a high draft pick in 2026, maybe the No. 1 overall. After this trade, they don't have a ton more draft surplus on the table.

The two picks sent to Dallas? The first is a swap this season where the Wizards – now the Mavericks – get the least favorable of the Clippers, Rockets and Thunder picks. So it'll be the Thunder's pick, which will be No. 29 or 30. The second is a top-20 protected Warriors pick in 2030 that becomes a second round pick if Golden State is a top-10 team that season. These are low-value firsts, as things go. What do the Wizards have left, other than their own picks? A swap option with the Nets and Suns in 2027 (potentially great; Brooklyn seems nowhere close to pulling out of their self-made nosedive); the second-best 2028 pick belonging to the Bucks, Blazers and Celtics (potentially solid assuming Portland doesn't leap up the standings); and a 2030 swap option with the Suns (potentially good). So there is some optionality here going forward to add accoutrements to an AD-Trae combo.

I don't even know if this strategy is wrong. It's just weird. It's just totally unexpected.